Konoha’s Prodigies
by JoelleAu
Summary: Every 5 years, the academy will arrange a perfect team. There is an unknown prophecy which has been going on for hundreds of years. It is said that a certain trio will be born, holding the key together as one to free the future prodigies of Konohagakure. The moment this trio exist in the world, fate will make its way to prepare them for the worse.
1. Chapter 1 (06-09 18:04:24)

Sakura Haruno, the heiress of the Haruno clan; the only clan with ninjas that are possible to have cherry blossom as their chakra nature. Only a selected few in the clan has such an ability. Sakura as the heiress is of course one of them and beyond that, she has the same shade of pink hair as the founder of Haruno clan which reserves the right to be named Sakura Haruno. It was a rule passed down from generations to generations; the elders believed that Sakura Haruno has the pure blood of Lady Sakura.

Being a noble is tough, but being a royalty in a noble clan is even tougher. It is inevitable that there will be extremely high expectations of one, not only must one be strong, but one must be very disciplined and well-behaved as well. Every one of them must walk on eggshells, especially in this generation where a trio prodigy will be arranged.

Sakura understood this and she knew she would be one of them, it is a known fact that a woman's sixth sense is sharp. She loves freedom, she wants it, but she cannot have it even when the sky crashes down. There she stood in front of her full-length mirror, staring at her own reflection and softly combing her pink hair in the shade of what brought her a greater burden as the descendant of Lady Sakura.

A polite knock came from her wooden sliding door. "Sakura-hime, Kizashi-sama requests your presence." A man said in that familiar voice; Kizashi's right hand man. Kizashi is from the main house of the Haruno branch in Konoha.

"Hai."

She walked to her father's room in a quiet pace and knocked the door just as softly.

"Come in." He ordered with his usual arrogant voice.

"You requested for me, Otou-sama?"

"Yes, I am aware that today will be the day where the trio prodigies will be announced so therefore there are things I must remind you of."

Sakura slightly frowned at the choice of words her father used. It's not only the trio prodigies, father. All the new ninjas will have their teams announced as well, you speak of them so lightly. She replied to her father in her mind, not daring to say it aloud because it would definitely enrage him.

"Sakura, you are carrying the name of Sakura Haruno. You are a legacy and soon might be the prophecy of the trio prodigies. Behave yourself and be the best of the best. You cannot risk anything that effects your name, our clan and Lady Sakura. You hold a very big responsibility, Sakura."

"Hai, Otou-sama. I understand. I will think before each and every word and action, I must prioritise my name, our clan, the name and pride of Lady Sakura." She repeated the words she has been saying ever since she was a child, it was kept in the back of her mind, at the tips of her fingers.

"Very well, you may go now."

"Hai." She left the room in relief after giving him a deep bow as a sign of respect to the Head of the Haruno clan of Konoha.

As soon as she left his room, she headed to the academy while recalling all the times she spent with her father; not a really family-type of quality time. Her father has been heavily pressuring her about the responsibilities of being the heiress, the Sakura Haruno. All the memories of them together are training and lecturing. Most would think it is great pleasure to be born a noble, but almost always she wishes to be just a normal civilian.

On her way to the academy, she met her "unofficial" cousin, Shikamaru. He is from the Nara clan, also one of the prodigies. Although they are from different clans, they are cousins by blood because her mother's sister married into the Nara clan which is Shikamaru's mother. This is how things work between some noble clans. The main house—heir especially—must be married to someone of the same clan. The only way one can marry someone from another clan is when the other person is unable to inherit the signature techniques of the clan; thus, that person will be banished by their original clan to enter a different family.

"Nara-san, good morning." She greeted formally, a habit she has gotten ever since she was younger when her father taught her about greetings and speech.

"Good morning Sakura." As they walked side by side, they kept a distance between them to avoid gossips. Although the Nara clan is not very strict and pretty open minded about it, Sakura's clan is a completely different story. Only three clans in Konoha are very strict with discipline and their prides: Haruno, Uchiha and Hyuga. We can only be ourselves when we are completely alone in nobodies' sight.

"Who do you think will be the next trio?" Shikamaru asked.

"I don't know, Nara-san." She answered politely while shaking her head.

"It would be a drag if I was chosen.." He sighed and folded his arms behind his head.

The walk to the academy became quite after that, neither of them continuing the conversation; but there was not an awkward silence, both of them are just very quiet people, a trait found in most nobles.

Once Sakura stepped foot into her class, a group of guys gathered around her; quickly filling her ears with buzzes and shrieks. She exhaled, trying her best to not let her emotions get the best of her.

"Please, let me go through." She said with the best smile she could muster. All of them seemed to freeze in their place trying to stop their nose bleed. She took this chance to take her seat between Shikamaru and Hinata.

"Good morning, Hyuga-san."

"G-Good morning Sakura-s-san, Sh-Shikamaru-san.."" She greeted.

"Mornin' Hinata." Shikamaru simply greeted before resting his head on his folded arms on the table.

Hinata is a polite and shy girl from the Hyuga clan, she stutters a lot and maybe a little too much. She has a twin brother which is Neji, but they do not look much alike because her mother's ovum was not naturally fertilised. Since Neji is born 7 minutes before her and he is a male, it was obvious who the heir of the Hyuga clan would be.

I could only imagine how hard her father will be to her, I'm sure Neji has his share in giving Hinata a hard time as well, he isn't the best person in this world after all. Sakura thought.

"Hyuga-san, where is your brother?" She asked.

"I'm behind you, Haruno-san." A voice spoke with cold venom. Sakura turned and saw him taking his seat behind her. "I just came in after a short walk outside." She nodded in acknowledgment and greeted him like the others.

Right before she turned her head to the front, she spotted another guy who sat next to Neji. His signature duck butt hair was the first thing which caught her eyes.

"Uchiha-san." She nodded to him as a greeting and vice versa,"Haruno-san."

They sat in peace until an annoying crowd gathered around them again; fangirls and fanboys. Sakura mentally sighed. They were fighting for seats near us and she brushed them off, trying to calm herself down from the noise they are making.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun~" Hummed a kunoichi in purple—Ino who just entered the class. She is from a noble clan as well, but she could not be called a prodigy since it means a young person with exceptional abilities. If you had not guessed already, she has a huge crush on Sasuke Uchiha, very much like most of the class girls, fangirls. Although it is quite annoying to see her acting out of the ordinary noble families, Sakura envies her sometimes.

Suddenly, a shout too cheerful pierced across the room, successfully quieting down the crowd gathered around the prodigies. "SAKURA-CHAN!!!"

"A very good morning to you, Namikaze-san." Sakura sighed.

Naruto Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage's son and a descendent of the infamous Uzumaki clan. His mother, Kushina Uzumaki is a jinchūriki of the Nine Tailed Fox. Although Naruto is not a prodigy, it is believed that he will become a very strong ninja one day because of his family background. If Sakura was not required to marry a pure blooded Haruno, her father would have arranged her marriage with Naruto as it has been revealed across the entire village that he has a crush on her.

Alongside Naruto, another ninja with exceptional skills in taijutsu has a strong affection towards her as well.

"SAKURA-CHAN! MY YOUTHFUL CHERRY BLOSSOM~~!!"

Once again, she sighed for the nth time as she greeted,"Lee-san, greetings to you."

"May I sit next to you, my youthful cherry blossom?" He hopefully asked with his hands clasped together.

"No! I was going to ask her and I came here first!" Naruto quickly argued.

"But I asked first!"

The pointless argument continued on until a familiar adult entered the room.

"Alright. Alright. Quiet down class!" Sakura silently thanked Iruka-sensei for saving her from another headache. Everybody sat in their places and patiently waited for his speech—well, if you minus the irritating tapping of Naruto's foot.

"Alright class, as you all know you have already graduated, we will put all of you into groups of three." He continues his briefing and gave a short introduction about being a ninja. Since he was basically repeating his previous lessons in a summary, everyone started discussing about the groups.

"I hope to be in your group!" Naruto and Lee winked at Sakura, then glared at each other. Back in her mind, she was resting her face on her palms in frustration. She prayed to not be in the same group as either of them, but she also knew it is quite impossible as she without a doubt would be one of the trio prodigies. After all, she is the only female prodigy in this class.

When she snapped herself back to reality, Iruka-sensei started listing out the teams.

"Sakura Haruno.." She waited for the next two names.

 **Published on Wattpad since November 2014. Feel free to go there if you can't wait to read more chapters!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Sakura Haruno, Neji Hyuga, and Sasuke Uchiha, you three are selected to be the Trio Prodigies so you are all required to meet the Hokage soon."

Everybody in class expected this, but instead of Sasuke, they thought it would be Shikamaru because of his high intelligence. Sakura was disappointed to say the least, she really hoped to be in the same team as he. He was the only person she is comfortable with aside from her mother and Hinata. She glanced at Shikamaru and found him yielding a relieved sigh, his shoulders released it's tension as the corner of his lips curved up into the tiniest smile. Although she is quite upset about the arrangement, she was happy for him because he could escape the burden that she and her team have to bear.

The room erupted in whispers, each having their own displeasure upon their favourites being taken away. Boys wanted to take Neji and Sasuke's place; girls wanted to take Sakura's place. Even Naruto and Lee cried in dismay; their fantasy in their minds were quickly crushed to hear Sakura being in a different group as they. The arrangement was not beyond their expectations, but it is no lie that there is a tiny fire of hope in their hearts—just like how Sakura hoped she would not be chosen.

Aside from their pleas, many of them were muttering about the prophecy which has been going on for decades, millenniums even. Nobody really knew. The class discussed if they were the Trio mentioned in the prophecy and many believed so. They may not be the first trio to originate from noble clans, but they are the first to all be the heirs and heiress of their own respective clans. This is very dangerous because if they make a wrong move, their entire clan will be at stake.

"Team 8: Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Choji Akimichi." Iruka continued.

This is the Konoha's signature team collaboration which typically consists the Nara clan, Yamanaka clan and the Akimichi clan. Their fathers as well are in the same team. _This was probably why Shikamaru wasn't chosen_. Sakura thought.

"Team 9: Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuga, and Shino Aburame."

Upon hearing this arrangement, Sakura grew suspicious. _An elite group as trackers; each of them from noble clans again. This is the third group made from 100% nobles of the same year._

"Team 10: Naruto Namikaze, Rock Lee, and TenTen."

As though having a number of teams made out of nobles were not odd enough, the Hokage's son was placed in a team of commoners. It does not seem like Naruto was aware of what happened because he was puzzled when the class gasped in surprised. Lucky for him, Lee was clueless as well as he stared at Naruto with a hateful look and they continued their staring competition until Iruka said his last goodbye as our teacher.

"That sums all of it." He said while arranged his books and papers. "Stay hear and wait patiently for your teachers, good luck and make the village proud."

The freshly graduated ninjas greeted him goodbye, they started moving around to meet their group mates and some of them huddled the newly announced Trio Prodigies also known as Team TP. After awhile, most of the students left with their teachers. Only two groups were left which are Team TP and Team 10. It was a pleasure to Sakura because TenTen gave both Naruto and Lee no chance to annoy her. She was compassionate towards the poor cherry blossom.

It did not take long for them to be picked up by their ridiculous-looking teacher who made a grand entrance in which nobody provided a positive reaction to—except Lee who fawned over his antics. As much as Sakura would like to let down her guard and drop her act as a noble, she could not; she was in the presence of two heirs from very powerful clans. At this, a thought stroke at her. _The Uchiha clan, Hyuga clan and the Haruno clan are all top 3 clans in Konoha. Yet another factor which seemed to be the sign of them being the Trio Prodigies_. Her heart raced as she grew pressured by it.

"You know Sakura..you can relax now. If we are teammates, we have to be comfortable around each other." Neji suddenly spoke, successful breaking her bubble of stress.

She turned to the back and looked at her lilac eyed teammate, then she smiled,"Yeah, sure".

She heaved sigh and reluctantly let her body fall limp. "It feels good to be myself again." Neji chuckled at her bluntness; in return, she shot him him a glare.

"I just thought you look adorable behind that placid mask of yours." He teased.

A strong emotion bubbled beneath a chest; whether or not it is anger or embarrassment, she did not know. _You asshole!_ She furiously yelled in her mind, how ungraceful of her to use such a term. In reaction to her fury, she stood up from her seat and her hand unconsciously raised itself to land a smack on his mocking face. But Neji's hand was quick to catch it before it could touch his face.

He gave her a mocking look as they challenged each other with their eyes, her hand still in his grasp. Sasuke being the bystander only rolled his eyes at their childishness, he was still not comfortable to put down his facade. Finally, Sakura huffed and crossed her arms as she placed herself comfortably on her seat.

After what felt like forever, especially with Neji testing Sakura's patience, their teacher finally made an appearance. The moment he entered the classroom, they immediately reverted back to their usual act—a noble pride.

"I'm sorry.. I was lo-" Before he could end his pathetic excuses, they simply nodded to save him for wasting his efforts. All three of them knew him, he is a skilled and famous across the world as well. They have also heard about his habits of being late and reading perverted books. His only visible eye slanted, showing that he was upset at how unenthusiastic his students were. "Meet me on the rooftop." Was all he said before poofing away.

Following his gesture, Sakura disappeared in a whirlwind of cherry blossoms to transport herself onto the rooftop where she successfully startled Kakashi who was leaning on the railing.

"Ah..the Haruno prodigy, also known as the heiress and the infamous legacy of the Haruno clan, Sakura Haruno."

Suddenly feeling challenged, she replied,"Good day Kakashi-sensei, son of the White Fang, the Copy-nin who copied over 1000 jutsus and also the only Sharingan user who is not related to the Uchiha clan."

"I see you did research." He acknowledged.

"These are simply common knowledge, Kakashi-sensei."

Soon, Neji and Sasuke were seen walking towards the other two. Sakura headed towards them and caught Neji's eyes by accident. He smirked and whispered, "The beauty who disappeared in a whirlwind of cherry blossoms". He sat down on the steps which left Sakura standing still. An irk grew on her forehead, but she kept her emotions in and sat next to him. Sasuke was seated on Neji's left. _Who knew the heir to the Hyuga clan is so.. Annoying_. Sakura wondered.

"Alright, I would like you to introduce yourselves. State your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams. I'll start with myself since all of you don't look quite...sociable." He scratched the back of his neck as he said so and continued,"I'm Kakashi Hatake. My likes and dislikes are not necessary for any of you to know. My hobbies? None of your concern. My dreams..you can say that I hope all of you will be comfortable around me, knowing you are all prodigies. Be yourself, I would like that."

At the beginning of his introduction, they were all irritated at his lack of information; however, they were shocked when he told them to act comfortably around him and be their true selves. They appreciated his efforts, but it would not be easy to put down their facade just like that; they were not...used to it. Especially him beim an adult, it reminds them of their families.

Kakashi nodded to Sakura as a gesture for her to start first and said,"Ladies first."

Sakura nodded at him before beginning,"Name is Sakura Haruno. No significant likes and dislikes. I have no time for hobbies. Dream...my future is already made out for me." She muttered sadly.

Next, it was the Hyuga's turn.

"My name is Neji Hyuga. I don't have many likes and there isn't any worthy dislikes to be mentioned about. No hobbies to be spoken of and my dreams are none of your concern."

"Sasuke Uchiha. None likes and dislikes, as well as hobbies. My dream which will become a reality is to find a certain someone and beat him in a spar to prove myself worthy as the heir of the Uchiha clan."

The atmosphere was really gloomy, even Kakashi felt awkward. He could not help but relate to them though, when he was at their age, he was lifeless as well and unenthusiastic; not that he ever was. In his mind, he began brainstorming on how to guide this group into the right path. Deep down, he as well has the feeling that this particular trio is the mentioned trio prodigies in the prophecy.

"Okay.. Please come to the special training ground at 3 o'clock tomorrow. I would like to spar with all of you." He left in a puff of smoke.

The first between then to get up was Neji. He completely ignored the presence of Sasuke as he bid Sakura good bye.

"See you tomorrow, Haruno-san."

"Like wise, Hyuga-san and farewell to you too, Uchiha-san." Sakura was quite puzzled at his change in attitude, just a few minutes ago he was being a total jerk, but now he is back to formalities.

"Hn."

 **Published on Wattpad on November 2014. Feel free to check it out if you want to read the chapters earlier!**


	3. Chapter 3

The day has come for the Trio Prodigies to spar with Kakashi. Fortunately for Sakura, she slept at 7 o'clock in the evening, so she was able to be wide awake at 2 o'clock in the morning before the spar. It was suspicious for Kakashi to start the day unreasonably early as he is known to be late most of the time—she had her relatives to ask about him. It was quite obvious that he has something up in his sleeves, so she took precaution and took a good 7 hours sleep.

Her theory about his unsaid plans was that he would think they will sleep at their usual time, making it impossible for them to have enough rest if they were to be punctual—which was crucial for a ninja, especially inexperienced ones; they needed enough rest to have enough energy. He will of course, be late and make all of them drowsy while waiting for his arrival. No student would dare take a nap while waiting for their teacher, and he used that to his advantage.

A cousin of Sakura's have told her about the real Genin test. Upon hearing this from her cousin, she suspected the sparring is the said test and she vowed to pass. She has been training the moment she learned how to walk, she would not let this untold test to stop her from becoming a Genin—the lowest level of ninjas. It would be a title too humiliating to bear as a noble and as the infamous Sakura Haruno. Furthermore, she was told about Kakashi's traumatic past. As though learning about his father's suicide was not enough, he had to watch his teammate risk his life to save him. On top of that, his teammate—Obito Uchiha presented him his left eye which yields the Sharingan as a gift upon becoming a Jounin. Scar after scar, Kakashi was once again trapped to leave his heart open and let fate stab the life out of him. He was forced to kill his remaining teammate, Rin Nohara, because she unwillingly became the jinchuriki of Isobu.

Rumours say that the Genin team under Kakashi have never passed, not a single one and all of them were to never enter the Ninja Academy ever again. Hearing this did not make Sakura feel good, but fear was not evident in any place of her heart and mind at all; instead, she took it as a challenge and she vowed to be the first to pass. After all, her team is the Trio Prodigy. Learning about his past, she came with a conclusion that the key to pass his test is teamwork.

Before taking off, she prepared all necessary things such as her weapon pouch, a medical pouch and an optional book to read. It was almost certain that Kakashi will be late as always. On the way to the training ground, she met Sasuke.

"Good morning, Uchiha-san."

He nodded in acknowledgment, "Haruno-san."

They walked quietly to the training ground, letting a thick layer of discomfort settle upon the couple. Once they reached the training field, Neji was found to be the first to reach.

"Haruno-san, Uchiha-san, a good morning to you."

"Hyuga-san." They both replied in unison.

During their wait for Kakashi, Sakura rested her back on a tree and opened her book to start reading. She ignored the stares from the two boys; they exchanged glances before walking towards the pinkette. Right before they could open their mouth, she shushed them with a warning.

"Anybody who disturbs me reading will get a punch from me." She then continued after realising a tip. "Oh, before that, sleep while you can because he will be late. I assume you both did not get enough sleep?"

The way both of them looked at her was similar; in some ways, they are similar but at the same time, they are very different. Their gazes may be identical, but the emotions in their eyes can be complete opposites. In this situation, Neji's eyes showed amazement and curiosity; whereas in Sasuke's eyes there were respect and acknowledgement.

Neji flirtatiously said,"Very smart of you, my dear." In which Sakura mentally facepalmed to.

"Hn."

 _'They are very different.'_

A little past 7 o'clock in the morning is when Kakashi finally showed up which meant the trio waited for roughly 4 hours. Just an hour or two before his arrival, the couple of boys woke up from their nap.

"Yo." He nonchalantly greeted.

"Hn." His three students replied. At this, Sasuke glared at the other two for taking his signature reply.

Before beginning his test, Kakashi pointed out something he believe is very important. "From this moment on, please act like yourselves, relax. We are a team and nobody is here to watch you." He watched as all three of the fresh graduates stood still in front of him, of course they were hesitant after being in their best behaviour for as long as they have lived; it is not an easy task to strip off the facade they spent years to build. Kakashi continued, "As I said, today all of you will spar with me. I'll compare all of you and pick only two persons. I suppose you all know that you are not officially Genin yet, so this test will determine your ninja status. However, only two will be chosen. I don't care about you being Trio Prodigies, if you're not fit, you're not fit. It's better for them to not exist anyway.." The last sentence was unheard, it went by like a whisper in the wind.

Sakura, Neji and Sasuke gave each other looks, seemingly communicating with only their eyes. There were not a single hint of worry, all three pairs were filled with determination and pre-triumph. They knew they will pass Kakashi's test, all together without a single one left behind.

"Alright. Ready?" Kakashi asked, all three of them nodded in reply.

"Start!"

 **Published on Wattpad since November 2014, so check it out if you want to read the chapters earlier!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Hold up!" Sakura suddenly called out loud, the other three placed their attention on her. "So all we have to do is fight you until you fall?"

"Yes."

The corner of the pinkette's lips curved into a smile of malice. "Alright, I'm ready." Her eyes moved to make eye contacts with her teammates, in hopes that they could catch her silent message. Thankfully, they did in which they nodded in reply. Unbeknownst to them, behind the mask of their team captain, he was smiling.

Once again, he counted to begin the match.

"One, two..three... Start—oof!"

Just a split second before he said start, Sakura pounced on him which caused his fall onto the ground. Neji and Sasuke held either side of him to pin him onto the ground while giving Sakura time to make hand signs. However, before she could finish her hand signs, the Kakashi they pinned down have transformed into a log.

"It's a substitution jutsu!" Sasuke exclaimed in disbelief.

Neji questioned,"When did he do that?" He too, was surprised. Feeling embarrassed for falling for such a lousy trick, he activated his Byakugan.

His white eyes scanned around the area and looked deep into the forest; Sasuke followed suit and searched for Kakashi with his Sharingan. The only girl casted a jutsu which created a blanket of cherry blossom petals scatter into the forest, it was a jutsu specialised in tracking. She closed her eyes and let her senses divide and connect from a petal to another, like a thin web of chakra. At one point, she could feel a body filled with familiar chakra.

The pink haired kunoichi smirked in triumph, _'Found him.'_

She quietly gathered her cherry blossom petals to wrap around the figure.

Suddenly, Neji shouted, "There!" And pointed to the opposite direction from where Sakura found Kakashi. It broke Sakura's concentration and she immediately snapped.

"Damn it! I almost got him!"

"What are you talking about? I saw him right there." He argued.

"I sensed him with my cherry blossoms. I almost caught him in my net!"

Both prodigies found the same person in different directions, who was right? Neither of them wanted to back down as they felt their pride was at stake. Amidst the argument, Sasuke spoke for the first time today.

"We shouldn't be fighting here, we're a team. Look at it carefully because it can be a trick."

Both the Hyuga and Haruno cooled down and nodded. "You're right, we have to remain professional." Although they are prodigies, the heir and heiress of noble clans, their experiences are very limited. No matter how many trainings, lectures one goes through, experience is something to gather by time. They are after all, still young and growing.

Once again, they used their methods respectively to search for the man. _'Sasuke was right, the figure I sensed just now was another petty jutsu.. Then where can he be?'_ Sakura thought. She landed some of her cherry blossom petals onto the ground and grew thin roots; it grew longer as she searched further and deeper. The roots were widely separated to diffuse the chakra energy. At long last, she found the man they had been looking for.

"Neji, Sasuke, I found him." She quietly said.

"Are you sure that's him?" Neji questioned.

She nodded while pointing to the ground. "I can bring him out, but both of you need to stand nearby to catch him if he escapes. I'm not sure how good he is in escaping my jutsu."

"I can create a barrier of flames." Sasuke suggested.

"I will use wind to carry the flame up so he can't escape from the top." Neji added.

Sakura then respond, "Thats great. Do it when I say go. I don't want him to find out that we found him."

Three of the young Genins quietly stepped around the area where Kakashi buried himself in.

Sakura spiked up her chakra energy to increase the speed of her roots' growth. "GO!" It shot up from the ground and broke the surface, bringing Kakashi up while his limbs were wrapped by the roots. A ring of flames surrounded the area and the tips raised up, forming a dome. Kakashi was stunned and widened his eyes in comical horror. He broke a sweat and surrender, "Uh.. okay okay, you all pass. Sakura, you can put me down right now."

The two boys stopped what they were doing and the kunoichi gently placed their teacher onto the ground. Kakashi looked at them, impressed and proud of his students. "I really can't underestimate any of you, prodigies really are prodigies. Great teamwork team TP!"

The three —now officially Genins, looked at each other in satisfaction; "Yeah, we did it!", Sakura exclaimed cheerfully.

"Group hug!" Kakashi suddenly said and hugged Sakura. This action triggered something in the two heirs which made them pull their perverted teacher away. They stood protectively in front of the pinkette. "Ahh, good good. It's good to protect your teammate."

"Especially from perverts like you." Added Neji.

Kakashi could only laugh it out, "Now that we are officially a team now, let's that a group picture and warm up with each other with a nice lunch."

For a very long time, all of them felt genuinely happy. To each and every one of them, this is the moment they will treasure for the rest of their lives. This team is their only chance to actually be happy, to be themselves, to be normal, to escape from their responsibilities or painful past.

All of them head towards the photography booth for a picture, the one time they've decided to show their true selves. Kakashi was seated while Sakura stood behind him and hugged his neck. She had a very rare cheerful smile on her face. Neji and Sasuke stood on Kakashi's either sides and smirked, but their eyes showed that they were happy.

This was their new family.

A happy family.

A family which meant everything to them.

Although they wouldn't admit it, but they knew.

Over the very short period of knowing each other, they knew all of them will mix well together.

They were all different yet similar.

 **Published on Wattpad since November 2014, check it out if you can't wait to read more!**


	5. Chapter 5

While the sun was rising, a shinobi appeared in Sakura's room to inform her of her needed presence in the Hokage tower. As soon as he disappeared in a dance of smoke, she left her room to bid her parents farewell. Since no further instructions were given, she was still in traditional clothing, but beneath it were equipped with weapons and necessary tools needed for battle. As she approached the entrance of the tower, the Hyuga was already there. Assuming they were to be present as a group, they waited for Sasuke and Kakashi.

"I have a C-rank mission for your team, Kakashi. Because your team are prodigies which their abilities are equivalent to Chunnins. Do you accept this mission?" The Hokage asked.

They were in the old man's office. Scrolls were piled up on his table, reaching his height as he seated on his chair.

Kakashi looked at his team of fresh Genins and asked, "Well?"

The trio exchanged glances and nodded their heads. "We would love to, Kakashi-sensei."

"We accept the mission." Kakashi finalised.

"Very well. Your mission is to protect the bridge builder and escort him to the village Hidden in the Mist." He then called to the door, "You may come in, Tazuna-san."

All of them turned their heads to meet their client, but they were quickly disappointed. The person they had to protect was a drunk old man? Sakura's expression was solemn, her enthusiast to complete her first mission vanished like a snap of fingers.

"So I'll be escorted by 3 brats? Are you sure I'll be safe in their hands?" His voice slurred, still holding a bottle of alcohol in hand. His cheeks were tinted pink as he burped.

 _Disgusting_. Sakura thought.

"Don't worry, Tazuna-san. They are the prodigies of our village, all from noble clans. Plus, they have an elite sensei with them. I am very confident you will be escorted safely to your village." The Hokage ensured.

Tazuna was hesitant, but nodded, "Alright, I trust you, Hokage."

The Hokage turned to the team and announced,"You have one hour to pack your things before meeting Tazuna-san at the front of Konoha's gates."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." They bowed in unison and vanished into thin air.

Sakura packed some clothes, weapons and essential medical equipments. She isn't skilled yet, but she knows enough from studying. It's a necessary knowledge to have, despite the protests of many. The last thing she grabbed was a katana that had passed down from generations to generations. It belonged to the legendary Sakura Haruno, the first. It has a black and shiny cover. Two red strings with cherry blossom flowers at the end were wrapped around the handle.

Once everything was complete, she met up with her team and Tazuna at the gates. Thankfully, Kakashi wasn't late; otherwise, they would receive an earful from the old man.

The journey was long and quiet. It was almost too peaceful. They were one quiet group, which made the atmosphere a little awkward. The pinkette unconsciously glanced at Neji which he caught.

"Like what you are looking at?" He smirked. If it wasn't that, she wouldn't know she had been staring at the arrogant Hyuga.

"N-No! What the hell, Neji?" She was embarrassed.

He only chuckled, enjoying the embarrassment of his teammate. He watched her huff in frustration, smiling at the pink dusted on her cheeks.

As they passed a puddle of water, Sakura's ears rang as she heard chains coming towards their way. Alarmed, she yelled, "DUCK!" She pushed Tazuna down with her body weight. Chains wrapped around Kakashi and crushed him in front of the group. However, the trio knew better than to worry. They had seen him fight. The kunoichi stood in front of Tazuna on standby while letting the guys fight. She heightened her senses, so she will be efficient in taking down enemies who attempts to use the element of surprise. With little difficulty, Neji and Sasuke finished off the attackers and tied them to a tree.

"Good job. As expected from Konoha's prodigies." A voice cheered from the trees. The group looked towards that direction and saw Kakashi clapping his hands. "Sakura, what do you think of them?"

"Based of their fighting skills, I believe they are Chunnins from the village Hidden in the Mist." The heiress started while placing her fingers beneath a chin, a gesture to show that she's thinking. "However.. they don't look like rogue ninjas, so I assume they are on a mission. But what would benefit them to kill a team of newly passed Genins from Konoha?" Then, she looked into Kakashi's eyes, her eyes were fierce and determined.

"Our prophecy isn't widely known outside of the Land of Fire. Furthermore, our team was announced 2 days ago. The only explanation would be... they are after Tazuna-san." Sakura concluded.

"Very good observation, Sakura. I'm very pleased." The Jounin complimented. He turned towards the bridge builder with his hands rested on his hips. "Lying about a mission is serious. It isn't about money, the lives of the ninjas selected and the clients themselves may be endangered. What do you have to say about this?"

"Uhh... You see.. There is someone out there who will do whatever it takes to assassinate me.. That person is named Gatou."

"Why would he want to assassinate you?" Sasuke asked. "You are just a bridge builder."

"Exactly because I'm a bridge builder. My current project is building a bridge which will change the fate of my village. But it will heavily effect Gatou's business as well. He tried to stop me in many ways, but I refused. The prosperity of my village depends on me, on the bridge."

"I see.. As you can see, Tazuna-san. This is not a C-rank mission anymore. With an expected assassination, this is a B-rank. We have come this far and it's probably too late to return now. Are you willing to take the risk of 3 newly passed Genins to protect you?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes. And you will stay in my place. I sincerely apologise for the trouble..and thank you." The bridge builder bowed, his speech was sincere.

Before continuing their now B-rank mission, Kakashi turned to the Genins, "You all have no problem with it, right?" They nodded.

"Now let us continue." Kakashi instructed. "Keep your senses sharp, there will be more assassins, possibly very skilled ones."

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	6. Chapter 6

After their encounter with the two assassins, their travel had been peaceful until they crossed the river. A man with half of his face covered with a bandage dressed in hand and leg warmers was standing in the middle of the bridge. A huge butcher knife-like sword was strapped on his back.

"Hello, Kakashi Hatake." He said with a gruff voice. "Hand me the bridge builder and we will spare your lives." He said.

"We?" Sasuke repeated in suspicion.

Kakashi replied, "Zabuza Momochi. The Devil of the Hidden Mist. I'm sorry to say that I won't hand you Tazuna. My team is not easy to beat."

Zabuza smirked and called, "Haku. Take care of them."

A lady in green stepped out, her face covered by a white porcelain mask with two red strokes, "Yes, Zabuza."

The two adults had already begun their battle. Sakura stared at the woman as she approached them. The pinkette stepped out, telling the guys to leave this fight to her, "Neji, Sasuke, protect Tazuna-san. This is a fight between a kunoichi and a kunoichi."

Both heirs nodded in respect to her decision, but Neji said, "Alright, but when you are in danger, we will jump in."

Sakura responded while walking to her opponent, "I'll make sure that doesn't happen." After all, her pride was on the line, along with her family's. As soon as she finished her sentence, the fight started with Haku.

"Special Justu: Flying Water Needles."

"Cherry Blossom Release: A Thousand Needles!"

Haku's water needles and Sakura's petals which act like needles clashed with each other in perfect rhythm. Each needle clashed with the other, making both sides to end in a draw.

"I guess I'll have to use this to finish you off then."

Before the Haruno could question what she meant by that, Haku did a handsign.

"Special Jutsu: Demonic Ice Mirror."

Ice mirrors formed all around them, trapping them inside it. Haku retreated into the mirror and her reflections appeared everywhere.

"I'm going to finish you off real quick." Haku said.

No matter who talented or skilled Sakura is, she was intimidated by it. Those factors can't beat experience. This was her first real fight, with someone who isn't familiar to her. Someone whose skill isn't familiar to her. But she had to stay calm and remain confident. Showing your weakness is only your first step to lose.

"Oh yeah? Try me." She retorted.

In every picture, Haku held her needles and threw them simultaneously. With this speed and accuracy, the victim could die when their vital organs are struck. This, Sakura could manage. Although she wasn't faced with needles very frequently, she had countless trainings where weapons attacked her from all directions. However, needles are still much more agile than kunais and shurikens; she was unable to dodge them swiftly, leaving her skin pierced and bleeding.

"Cherry Blossom Release: A Thousand Swords"

Cherry blossoms shaped into swords surrounded Sakura in circles. All of them pointed to the mirrors and stabbed them which successfully broke the ice; thus, Haku has no more place to hide in which drew her out. The Haruno was quick to spot her and didn't hesitate before landing a heavy kick to her stomach. She unsheathed her katana and pointed it very closely to Haku's neck.

"It seems I have underestimated you and your brats." Zabuza said in defeat. When Sakura turned to look at his direction, he was gravely injured. Blood dripped down his tan skin and pooled the floor. "My mission is a failure."

"Zabuza!" Haku gasped and kicked the pinkette while her attention was elsewhere. The pinkette dropped on her back as her opponent ran to her companion.

"Let's leave, we have failed." Haku nodded before bidding Sakura farewell.

"It was a good fight." And she turned away, "And I'm actually a guy." With that, they were gone.

"HUH?????"

"Wow." That was Neji.

"..." Sasuke was bewildered as his eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Ugh.." Kakashi suddenly groaned as he fell to the ground. His hands gripped his chest which was covered in blood. Across his chest was a long and deep cut.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura ran to his aid and unpacked her first aid materials. She ordered him to undress his upper body so she could clean his wound and wrap it with some sterile bandages with Neji's help. Sasuke retrieved a clean shirt and vest for Kakashi to put on when they were done treating his wound. Tazuna only watched them as they work, feeling guilty for filing a fake mission.

This time, the whole group was able to accompany their client to his house safely without further disturbance. They met Tazuna's happy little family and it warmed their hearts. As the heir and heiress of noble clans, a homey family isn't something they have the luxury to experience. Especially Sakura's father who is so stuck up about their clan's Sakura Haruno legacy.

The three kids were smiling, but their eyes showed envy.

Suddenly, Sakura who had been in between the two boys held their hands. They questioned her action, but they saw the compassion in her eyes. She was feeling what they felt too, and they squeezed her hands. Three of them relate to each other, they were each other's support. While they only just interacted with each other closely for the last few days, they already share a bond that is inseparable.

Looking down at them was Kakashi who smiled heartwarmingly at his students. He was happy to see them warming up to each other and starting to depend on one another. He was sure that the fates of those three would not end like the previous teams, not like his at least.

He was confident in his team, that they would put things right.

 **Published on Wattpad since November 2014, check it out if you can't wait for more chapters!**

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	7. Chapter 7

On the next day, they were on their way to leave until Kakashi sensed 2 dangerously strong chakras. He alerted his students in urgency, preparing for the worst. The ninjas of the Leaf immediately told the bridge builders who were working to evacuate. Tazuna who escorted them to the bridge was confused.

"What's wrong??"

"Stay behind me, Tazuna-san!" Sasuke ordered.

A man who looks like a shark emerged. "So you've noticed us." He was dressed in a black cloak with patterns of a red cloud. It was the infamous icon of Akatsuki: a group of S-class criminals.

"That's Kisame Hoshigaki. Monster of the Hidden Mist." Sakura choked in a gasp. She was afraid, of course she would be. Prodigy she is, but a well-known fearful ninja she is not.

"So you know me, pink haired squirt." He teased.

She took in a deep breath, trying to call her nerves. His comment ticked her off, but thank goodness for that because she focused on her annoyance instead of her fear. "My name is Sakura Haruno, not a pink haired squirt."

"Kisame." A voice spoke from his back.

"A-Aniki??" Sasuke stuttered in shock.

The pinkette stared in disbelief, "Itachi-san.."

"It has been awhile."

"You left to join the Akatsuki?" Sasuke growled. Itachi's face showed no sign of emotion. Sasuke attempted to charge at him, but Kakashi held him back.

"They are S-class criminals. It's difficult to beat them, even for me." Kakashi explained to stop his students from being reckless.

"It's good that you know where you stand. Hand us the bridge builder." Kisame said with pride.

Neji wondered, "Gatou was desperate enough to send the Akatsuki?"

"Even so, we will protect him with our lives." Sakura declared, pointing at her headband. "This is our ninja way."

"They are too dangerous for you.. No matter how skilled you are, all of you have no experiences. To face such a strong opponent in the beginning of your journey..." Kakashi sighed. He doesn't have a choice.

"We won't die this way, believe in us Kakashi-sensei." Neji said.

The copy ninja nodded, "We won't go down without a fight."

"Leave Itachi to me." Sasuke growled.

"No." Kakashi immediately answered. "You are too unstable right now. Protecting Tazuna-san is our main priority."

Sasuke glared at him, but nodded in understanding. As much as he refuse to admit it, Itachi has always been the real prodigy in his clan. He was simply outstanding. It wouldn't be possible for him to defeat his older brother when he's merely a Genin.

The silver-haired shinobi revealed his sharingan hiding beneath his headband. "Itachi, your opponent will be me."

"Hmph. That leaves me with 3 little kids, what a joke." Kisame grunted in disappointment.

Neji and Sasuke activated their kekkei genkai while the other unsheathed her sword, holding it in front of her. The three Genins stood in a fighting stance, being alert of their surroundings.

Kisame smirked and unwrapped his sword, Samehada. It was in navy blue and the surface was an even. It looked like scales which Sakura recognised. She read it from a book before.

Immediately, she warned her teammates. "Whatever you do, don't go near that sword! It absorbs your life force!" Her two teammates nodded at her advice, knowing better than to disobey. She was second to Shikamaru in academics.

"I see you even found out about my sword.." Kisame smiled. "Very intelligent."

He charged at the pinkette, colliding his sword and hers. She struggled under his strength, using both hands to push his sword away from her. The two boys came to her aid, attempting a kick from each side. The Akatsuki member jumped backwards to avoid it. Immediately after he pulled away, Sakura did her hand signs.

"Cherry Blossom Release: Dance Of Cherry Blossoms."

She calmly stood as she combined herself with the petals floating everywhere. She jumped, twirled, and stepped on the ground in grace.

"1st Dance."

The petals formed a whirlwind around Kisame and sliced him like standing in an inverted chainsaw. She twirled on her spot like a ballerina, swinging her cherry blossoms onto Kisame.

"2nd Dance."

This petals gathered into several straight lines, stabbing his vital spots. He kneeled down because his calves were punctured, but he used his sword to reflect the cherry blossoms from hitting his organs. Unfortunately, this was a jutsu she hadn't mastered, making her aim inaccurate and the speed wasn't up to her satisfaction.

She hopped into the air spun like a ballerina.

"Final dance!"

The cherry blossoms formed a tornado, trapping him inside. It slowly contracted, trying to squash him. But it was too slow. The final dance wasn't fully developed. Kisame took that chance to use his sword and push off all the petals away, immediately ruining their formation; thus disabling her jutsu.

Kisame spat his blood onto the ground. "Not too bad, but not good enough."

The Haruno growled at her failure. If only she had more time to perfect that jutsu, she could have beaten him. Could she? After all, he's an S-class criminal. She raised her katana, ready to charge at him, but he was already running straight towards her.

When they finally met, he ran past her.

Sakura gasped.

He targeted someone else.

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	8. Chapter 8

"NEJI!" Sakura screamed.

She appeared in front of Neji in a flash and shielded him with her body. Kisame's sword hit her body with a strong force, sending her flying and scrapping the floor. I felt so weak and some of my bones are crushed. I coughed out blood which stained Neji's attire.

"SAKURA!" Neji and Sasuke called, immediately running to her aid.

Sakura became very weak and in immense pain. Not only did the scales absorb an amount of her life force, it fractured some of her bones. She coughed out blood and the sight scared the other two boys. It wasn't a sight to get used to, especially at such a young age.

Kisame smirked while stepping closer to them. "Brat."

Sakura wanted to move, but her body felt so heavy. She _had_ to. Feeling this beat up and so helpless was definitely a first for her, a first for all three of them in fact. It felt real. Something they were trained to do since birth: fight. Even sitting up was a struggle, but Sasuke helped her up and she leaned on him for support. Just as Neji was about to strike with his gentle fists, two figures with orange and blue hair respectively appeared in Akatsuki's signature cloak. They stood in between the shark look alike and the Hyuga.

The man with orange hair spoke first, "Stop." It was an order, more to Itachi and Kisame than the ninjas from the leaf village.

"Why? I was just getting started." Kisame whined.

"Kill Gatou. Tazuna must survive. Killing Gatou benefits us more." Pein said.

"Hn." Itachi answered. None of the rookies noticed his presence. They were too engrossed with the situation in hand, perhaps. Even Kakashi's arrival was unnoticed. The older Uchiha moved his gaze to the pinkette, what went through his mind, she doesn't know. But she looked at him in anger and disappointment. Admittedly, he was the true prodigy of the Uchiha clan. Sasuke was better than the average, and he made it with hardwork, but Itachi was still better. Thus, the older Uchiha and the Haruno spent a lot of time together as children. With their gazes still fixated on each other, the Akatsuki team left with the breeze.

"Are you alright, Sakura?" Kakashi asked, observing the injury on her back.

"I can bear with it, but I don't think I can move around so much." She said with disappointment, she hated herself for being weak. She felt her pride being washed away.

The silverette pat her head, "You did a good job being able to get this far." Then, he stepped in front of her and bent down, "C'mon, the damage of Samehada on your life force won't heal so quickly."

Their journey to Tazuna's home was silent. The old man felt guilt; the trio made a resolution to become stronger, and trying to ignore the disappointment they have in themselves. The Jounin however, he was hiding his own wounds from his battle and bearing with the pain.

~MEANWHILE~

The ravenette knocked Kisame's head as they walked towards Gatou's mansion to kill him.

"Ow! What was that for?!?" Kisame asked angrily.

Itachi replied, "Nothing."

He smirked and said, "For hurting your beloved cherry blossom?"

No response was given, but both of them knew it was true. They had known each other long enough.

Back to the team in Tazuna's house, Sakura was immediately treated with utmost care. She had her front laying on floor as Tazuna's daughter helped clean her wounds and wrapped it with bandages. The three guys were waiting outside the room.

Once she was done, she offered to help Sakura dress but was politely denied. She left the pinkette to dress and allowed the guys to enter the room after she was done.

"How do you feel now?" Kakashi was the first to ask.

"I'm fine, you should get yourself treated too."

Kakashi nodded, knowing she must have figured it out by how tense his muscles were when he piggybacked her. "I can do that myself. If there's anything you need, I'll be resting in my room."

"Sure thing, Kakashi-sensei. And thank you."

She wasn't her real self, he knew. She's troubled by the confrontation she'll have with her family. Suffering from such injuries in a C-rank mission would be the laugh of a town. Even though it should be a B-rank, it was still registered as a C-rank in the files. He looked at the two concerned boys sitting in either side of her, inquiring about her condition. They'll cheer her up, he trusts them.

 **Published on Wattpad since November 2014 so check it out if you can't wait for more chapters!**

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	9. Chapter 9

A day after the incident, the team finally left after confirming that Gatou has died. Sakura was in a much better shape to move as well. With Gatou dead, Tazuna wouldn't need to worry about being targeted. Because it was a long journey home, Neji decided to carry Sakura on his back. She did deny at first, but along the way, the injuries were taking a toll on her.

Her arms were loosely wrapped around his neck and his hands gripped her thigh. It was a little embarrassing to have him carry her like this, especially when both of them bicker quite frequently.

After what seemed like forever, they finally arrived at the gates of their village. The pinkette had already fallen asleep because doing nothing was certainly boring.

"Neji, bring her home." Kakashi said with his hands in his pockets. "Sasuke and I will report to the Hokage."

"Got it." Then I vanished into thin air.

A heir of a noble clan being intimate with the heiress of another noble clan was a scandalous sight to the public. He appeared in the shadows before poofing away to another dark spot, nearing the Haruno compound. Teleporting right a far distance away was not something one can easily perform. Once the compound was in sight, it seemed as though Sakura had woken up at the familiarity of the air.

"Oh, we're here?" She tapped Neji's shoulder twice on instinct, and he understood what she meant: put her down.

He obeyed her, understanding the importance of a heiress' dignity. Despite the voice in him saying not to let her move so much in her condition. Although they argued a lot in the past, he believe they have developed a certain level of acquaintanceship that he cared for her.

"What a disgrace to return in this pathetic condition!" The head of the family yelled. Only a father and her daughter was present in the room.

She casted her gaze onto the floor. She was ashamed.

"I'll work harder to beat the Akatsuki, father." She said firmly, holding zero emotion in her voice and expression.

"Fighting the Akatsuki is no excuse to return home with a defeat!" He yelled, protecting his pride in front of his daughter. She hadn't explained the identity of her opponent and he felt a dent was made in his pride. Because he knew even _he_ couldn't beat an Akatsuki and yet he blamed her for returning with such injuries. However, losing an argument to his daughter was something he cannot bear; thus, he stood to his point no matter how childish and unreasonable it was. "Which member was it?"

"It was Kisame, father." The entire time she stood in the room, there wasn't a single second where she could bring her head up. She was too embarrassed in herself.

"Hmph! He wasn't even the strongest one!"

She dropped to her knees, speaking louder, "I promise you, I will defeat him the next time I see him. Our match have not ended."

"Return with a glorious victory." He huffed.

After a little over a week, Sakura had a visitor. She started with her training already, delaying her recovery and her visitor knew that. He met her while she trained and worry was all he felt.

"Sakura."

She turned to him in a body full of sweat.

"Kakashi-sensei." She said in between breaths.

He figured he would skip the talk she wouldn't want to listen and get straight to the point.

"I have registered all three of you for the Chunnin exams, are you well enough?"

"Of course, I won't let you down."

Right when he thought she finally broke free from her facade, the girl standing in front of him right now, has lost sense of positivity and warmth. The fight with Kisame had landed more of an impact than he thought.

He nodded in response, "I trust your abilities. The first exam will be held in the academy next week, meet the boys there."

"Yes sensei."

"Good luck and be careful." He said before disappearing into a puff of smoke.

A week later, just a day before the exam, Sakura woke up a little earlier than usual. She heaved a sigh and turned her head to look up into the sky from her bedroom. She felt the cold breeze lightly pushing her hair and allowed the soft pink petals enter her room, filling it with its refreshing scent.

"I should start training now." She said to no one in particular.

She changed into a short, sleeveless kimono and black tight shorts. She readied her equipments and headed to her training compound: an open space surrounded by cherry blossom trees.

She began warming up with her taijutsu and decided to work on it because she thought building up her stamina would benefit her. Fighting in exhaustion is certainly a step to defeat.

She trained all day until nightfall, giving herself minimal time to rest. She painted heavily and dropped on the grass covered in pink and white petals. She rested for about 5 minutes before getting up to resume her training. Until a voice stopped her.

"It doesn't mean you will get stronger by simply training all day. Yes, you need to train, but you need enough rest as well."

Maybe she was too caught up with her training that she didn't sense him nearby. She nearly jumped from the sudden intrusion.

"If you don't have enough rest, not only your will your muscles be in stress, but your mind can't focus as well. It's a pointless fight if you can't think straight. You need a clear mind and a healthy body to win."

She shrugged her shoulders and turned to him. She knew he was right. "You're right, Kakashi sensei. I was too focused on enhancing my skills that I laid aside my well-being."

"I believe you can do it, Sakura. You are the most intelligent in our team." He said as he pats her head.

She sighed, hearing him say those words certainly left her heart aching. "It would be great if you are my father instead of _him_." She whispered an she was gone in a whirlwind of cherry blossoms.

 **Published on Wattpad since November 2014, so check it out if you can't wait to read more!**

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	10. Chapter 10

The Chunnin exams.

It's finally here.

Sakura made sure to double check her things before heading out, packing tools for possible situations. She grabbed her katana and placed it horizontally on the back of her waist. She left the compound with no words exchanged, she knew what they would have said. Returning without the title of a Chunnin is not an option.

When she reached the academy, Neji was the first to see her.

"How are you feeling today, Haruno-san?" He politely asked.

Back to formalities, there were too many people around. Ninjas from all around the world were present.

"I'm fine, thank you Hyuga-san." She answered and faced her other teammate. "Good morning to you, Uchiha-san."

"G'morning." He simply replied.

They headed to the door and Neji opened the door, gesturing for his teammates to enter before him.

"Ladies first." He said.

Sakura walked into the building with the guys following closely behind.

They stopped at the second floor to find two disguised Chunnins causing some trouble. Sakura released the genjutsu without a word, she didn't want to waste any time. They moved on to the third floor, leaving the other contestants to gaze at them in amazement.

"The 'Trio Prodigy'.." Some whispered.

"What a show off." Some voices snorted.

As soon as the team reached the door to a classroom, they met Kakashi in front of it.

"It's good to see three of you in action again. Good luck!" He smiled behind his mask. The three nodded and entered the room in optimism.

"Sasuke-kun~~!" Ino squealed and jumped on him.

"Sakura-chan!!!" Naruto and Lee called out.

Before they could come near the pinkette, Neji protectively raise a hand to stop them from coming closer. Sasuke would have done the same, but he's defenceless as well. The two knuckleheads pouted at his action.

"Please, respect Haruno-san. Don't cause her trouble in a public place like this." He sternly said. Sakura gave him a smile, she was grateful for his help. On the other hand, she felt bad for Naruto and Lee. But it wasn't an issue to worry about. She giggled in her mind as she watched the both of them have a glaring contest with her teammate.

"Enough! Behave yourself!" TenTen huffed in annoyance as she knocked both of their heads. It was good to have a tough girl like her in their team. She could put them in their place.

"Alright!" A voice boomed from the front of the classroom. "Get to your seats and the test shall begin! I'm you're proctor for the first test and I.. am your worst nightmare." He smirked.

After each of them got their seats, they start with a theory test. He gave a simple briefing about the rules, but it seemed sketchy.

The pinkette read the questions carefully, but stopped at the bottom page. It was written:

The 10th question will be revealed 15 minutes before the first test ends.

She was fairly surprised, the questions they were given aren't in the level of a Genin. Very much everyone besides the outstandingly smart Genins would fail without a doubt. She began to suspect the true objective of the first test.

It was to cheat without getting caught.

But this wasn't something she would worry about, she can answer these questions just fine. She believed her teammates could as well, and Shikamaru. Could they?

After 20 minutes, she completed her paper and relaxed on her chair. There were people who tried to copy her answers. The participants on both sides had to leave because they were caught copying me.

She looked at the clock, waiting for the time to pass and for the proctor to reveal the 10th question. She sighed and leaned on her table. As much as she would allow her acquaintances to copy her, she didn't like her mind being invaded. She focused on blocking out Ino who tried to use her signature jutsu.

Sakura used her forehead protector to reflect light to the mirror above her, courtesy of Tenten who was copying as well. The light seemed to alert Neji, which was her purpose. He activated his Byakugan and quickly copied down her answers. She quietly shook her head, she believed he could answer them, but maybe he was stuck in some questions.

The pinkette observed all the remaining participants in the room. That was all she could do while waiting for the test to end. The three ninjas from the village of the Hidden Sand caught her attention, especially the boy with red hair. Something about him gave her goosebumps, she made sure to be cautious around him.

Finally, Ibiki, their proctor spoke.

"Drop your pencils, time for the 10th question. If you answer the 10th question wrongly, you can never take the Chunnin exams ever again." Whispers passed around the room. "You may disqualify yourself here and participate next time. However if one of you leave, the entire team leaves with you."

Some teams left the room with their heads hung low. Ibiki asked, "Anymore?"

Nobody answered.

Then, he flashed a genuine smile. "You all passed."

Everyone was confused, they looked around hoping someone would explain to them or if this was a joke.

"What do you mean?" A guy asked.

"What about the 10th question?" Another person asked.

Ibiki answered, "That is the question. The question of courage."

Everyone was speechless.

Just then, a figure broke the glass window and leaped into the room. It caused a panic in the room until the figure started speaking.

"Alright, brats! It's time for your second test and I, Anko Mitarashi, will be your examiner! Follow me to the next venue!" As she said those words she had a wicked grin on her face.

They obediently followed her to a creepy place. It was a forest surrounded by tall fences. The look of the forest was certainly unsettling.

"This is the forest of death." She started. "Each of your will be given a gem. Your aim is to collect a total of 5 gems within the time limit, which is 1 week. Whether you battle with the other teams or steal their gems, it's up to you as long as you return with 5 gems. The gathering point is a tower in the middle of the forest."

She held out a gem. "You will stumble upon some gems in the forest, but they aren't easy to find. Before the test begins, you're required to fill in this form." She dropped the gem and pulled out a piece of paper. "This is to ensure I won't be held responsible for your deaths." She ended her long speech with a smile.

Each team waited at their respective gates after filling up the forms and claiming their gem stones. While they waited for their cue to enter, the trio prodigies were quiet. They were trying to prepare themselves for the worst. Failing was not an option to each of them as they all have a reputation to live up to.

After 30 minutes, Anko yelled. "The time has come, don't die!"

With that, most of the teams rushed in and scatter around to look for gems. But to no avail and worse, they were quickly caught in a battle. The trio prodigies walked silently while observing their surroundings, it's a fool's mistake to run in head on without any precautions.

"Neji, Sasuke, is it alright if both of you activate your kekkei genkai?" Sakura suggested. "Let's start hunting before time runs out."

"Sure." Sasuke said and instantly activated his Sharingan.

"Of course." Neji obeyed.

The two boys looked around the forest, searching for anything that resembles a gemstone or a human. Sakura did her hand signs.

"Cherry Blossom Release: Cherry Blossom Tracker."

Cherry blossom petals started to appear and it moved around the area sensing for chakra signs. She spread her petals as far as she could.

It took quite awhile for her to find someone.

"Guys, here." She called and hopped in the branches to head towards the direction where the chakra strings were interfered.

"Found them." Neji said with his Byakugan still on.

Sasuke smirked, adrenaline running in his veins.

All three of them were filled with excitement despite the burden they had. They could finally fight as a team, with someone their own size.

 **Published on Wattpad since November 2014, so check it out if you can't wait for more!**

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	11. Chapter 11

When the Konoha team entered the clearing, they were met with a team from the village Hidden in the Sound. All three of them noticed the intruders and the man in the middle spoke, "I see we have our first opponent."

"Introduce yourselves." Neji ordered.

The man in the lead was covered in bandages, leaving only his left eye visible. "I'm Dosu. He is Zaku, and this is Kin." He said, gesturing at the two behind him.

"Neji." Neji pointed to himself with his thumb.

"Sakura." Sakura said next.

"Sasuke." He continued.

"How about one on one? Girls versus girls,

while we choose our opponent?" Zaku suggested with a triumphant grin. It was way too early to determine who'll leave in victory.

Sasuke smirked, "Sounds good."

"I'm taking you then." Dosu said as he kept his eyes on the Hyuga.

"Fine by me."

"Which leaves us." The other guy concluded with Sasuke in his sight.

They separated into three pairs, each pair looking for a spacious place for battle. Sakura didn't need a lot of space to fight her opponent, so she settled for a space without a lot of trees. The area was about the size of her room.

Her opponent, Kin, launched a surprised attack, thinking it would catch Sakura off-guard, but she was wrong. She shot needles to the pinkette's direction, there were little bells attacked on the end of each needle. Unfortunately, Sakura hasn't been in a good mood ever since her encounter with Kisame. Time was not something she wants to waste. She decided to show no mercy and did hand signs.

"So quickly to resort to ninjutsu?" The lady smirked, thinking it was an act of cowardice.

"Cherry Blossom Release: A Thousand Swords"

With Kin's poor ability, she wouldn't be capable enough to escape Sakura's cherry blossoms. She was sliced deeply by it. Blood spilled and littered everywhere; if she doesn't get treatment soon, she would die from blood loss.

Surrendering to her good heart, the pinkette decided to stop her bleeding and wrapped her up with bandages. While doing so, she took the chance to examine her body for the gemstone, but found none. She left Kin in the ground and looked for the other two.

Neji was the first person she found, he was already done with Dosu.

"You are strong.." The one eyed man croaked out, he took out a gemstone from his pocket and threw it to the Hyuga heir. Sakura would have healed him, but she decided against it because his condition was not critical.

"We got it! Now to look for Sasuke." She said with a smile.

By the time they found the said Uchiha, both of Zaku's arms were fractured. 'Oops' was all the ravenette said.

The three hopped further away and stopped to track for opponents. They talked for a bit, easing the tension in the air.

"You went too far, breaking his arms like that." Sakura muttered.

Sasuke responded, "You're just too soft."

"Well, it wasn't necessary." If she didn't have her eyes closed, she would have rolled her eyes. Closing her eyes only sharpens her senses with her cherry blossom tracker.

"At least we got the gems from them, losing to them would be a humiliation." Neji said while scanning the forest as far as he could.

"Yeah, they weren't that strong anyway." This was the second time Sasuke talked so much in a short time period, the first time being when Sakura was injured and the two boys tried to cheer her up. It was certainly new to them, but it was a sight pleasant to behold. "We'll ace is this exam if the other participants are that weak."

"Careful, overconfidence might get you killed." Sakura warned.

Before Sasuke could retort, he caught sight of three figures headed towards them. "We have a team coming towards our direction."

"I sensed them. 4 o'clock. In 15 minutes."

Neji turned to the direction, getting a clearer picture.

"Oh, we know that group." He said in a disappointed tone.

After exactly 15 minutes, the team emerged from the shadows of the trees.

The first word from them was, "Troublesome.." He sighed. "This team of all teams?"

"Ah, Sasuke-kun" The girl squealed in glee and attempted to be sexy by letting her hair down, but failed miserably. Both boys of Sakura's team showed zero interest. "Why ain't my sexiness working?!" She huffed.

Sakura, being very done with her, said, "Because this is a fight."

 **Published on Wattpad since November 2014 so check it out if you can't wait for more chapters!**

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	12. Chapter 12

The team of prodigies were against Genins from their own village. The team of Sakura's best friend: Shikamaru. With him was Ino and Chouji, all three from known clans in the village. Fighting them is possibly more difficult than the previous team.

"I kind of had a bad feeling we'd bump into each other here." The Haruno heiress sighed with her hands resting on her hips.

"Troublesome..." The pineapple head complained.

"Shall we fight individually?" Sakura proposed.

"Definitely team versus team. We'd lose otherwise!" Ino shouted out.

"You would lose either way." Sasuke grunted softly, the sight of her made him cringe.

Sakura shot Shikamaru a wide smile, "I won't hold back, Shikamaru!"

"What a drag.." He sighed, his shoulders already slumping down in defeat.

"Team formation! Ino!" Ino ordered.

"Shika!" Shikamaru said lazily.

"CHOOOOOOOO!!" Chouji shouted enthusiastically.

The prodigies sweat-dropped, feeling the second handed embarrassment.

Sakura stepped forward to the two guys, whispering, "Guys, we have to watch out. Shikamaru's strategy is out of the box and it always work. Think more than you act!"

She thought for a moment, "Actually.. why don't we just knock them out? Surely, they wouldn't expect us to not fight them.."

"The faster, the better. I can't stand her presence." Sasuke shivered in disgust.

"I don't have a problem with that, it would be easy." Neji agreed.

With that, all three of them vanished into thin air, leaving the other three Genins in confusion. But Shikamaru was sharp, he shouted, "Watch your backs!"

But it was too late.

The prodigies were faster.

All of them were knocked out from hitting the points behind their neck.

Sakura bent down to Ino's body and reached for the pouch. Knowing Ino, she must have kept the gem because it was pretty and bingo. A smirk curved the tip of her lips and she found the gemstone and hid it in her scroll. Surely, no one would expect them to store the gems in a scroll. The scroll for storage was only popular for a long stay outside.

"Sorry, but time isn't something I like to waste." She apologised.

"So far it has been too easy.." Neji carefully said, trying to hint that the situation was too suspicious.

Rustle Rustle

Our bodies froze. "What was that?" Sasuke said in urgency.

The boys activated their kekkei genkai to see what was hiding behind the bushes and their eyes widened. Sakura was puzzled, but worry crept into her mind.

"We have to fight this instead.." Neji gasped.

What he saw stepped out to the clearing.

Oh.

My.

God.

"Dang it!" Sakura cursed under breath.

"Hn.."

All of them stared at the white tigress with black striped. It has huge violet eyes that looked so beautiful, but not so much when it doesn't look at all friendly. Especially when it's size is as huge at the three Genin prodigies.

"RAWRRRRRR!!"

They gulped.

"Are we going to fight this thing or are we breaking into a run?" Sakura asked.

"RAWRRRRRRRRRR!" Another tiger appeared, this time in black fur and white stripes. It's eyes were a refreshing lime green colour.

"Oh..God..." Neji whispered.

And there was another roar, from a tiger with bloody red eyes. It's fur was grey and it's stripes were a mix of black and white.

"How many are there??" Sasuke questioned in fear.

These creatures were nothing like they had seen or heard of.

They were surrounded by tigers of their own size.

"So.. Running away is out of the question?" Sakura muttered sheepishly.

"Running from the back might cause danger to Shikamaru's team." Sasuke said.

"I'm thinking of something extreme.." The Hyuga said.

"What? Fight them?" Sasuke asked as though his teammate was out of his mind.

"Ride on them."

Both Sasuke and Sakura shot him a look. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!" They yelled in unison.

"Fighting them.. I have little confidence. But I'm sure they can run fast and save our time. They would attract people and we could retrieve their gems easily by scaring them with these tigers." He explained.

"Easier said than do-" The pinkette was interrupted when the white tigress suddenly leaped onto her.

"SAKURA!!" Neji and Sasuke called in fear.

Instead of feeling sharp teeth tearing her flesh apart or watching their beloved teammate being ripped apart by a wild animal, the tigress was snuggling her nose into the pinkette's hair. She opened her eyes and saw the tigress licking her face. What's more, the large tigress from before shrunk into a cub.

Confusion was all they had in mind.

She turned to her teammates and they were in the same position as her, being cuddled by the little tigers.

They were speechless.

"Uhh.."

"I don't know, Sakura..."

Sasuke grunted, feeling unfamiliar with the tiger's affection. "What do we do?"

"I wonder if the they can understand us." As though they understood Neji's question, all three tigers roared but it sounded so small that they could be mistaken as cats trying to sound tough.

"That's a yes I suppose." Sakura sat up with the little tigress in her arms. She was so cute.

"Would you like us to keep you?" Neji asked.

"ROAR!!"

"Hey, it tickles!" Sasuke suddenly exploded in laughter. His other two teammates were amazed, they were happy to see their fellow teammate final smile and laugh.

"I like them." Sakura concluded.

The Hyuga placed his tiger on the ground and stood up, "Can you change into any size we want?"

His tiger nodded his head in joy. It's eyes were sparkling under the sunlight.

"We got ourselves three very surprising prizes." Sasuke uttered.

Sakura pat her tigress' head. "I'll name you Sumire, because of your violet eyes and both of us share a name with flowers." It purred happily under her palms, it liked the name.

"I'll name this little guy Aka for it's red eyes or should I call him Sharin-OW!" The tiger hugged his face but clawed it in the end. There my friends, is the side of the Uchiha we never seen.

"Aww Aka hates you." Sakura laughed and Neji followed suit.

"No he doesn't." He pouted and turned to Aka. "You don't hate me, do you?" It purred and climb to the top of his head.

"Well..I guess I'll call you Aka then." Sasuke sighed.

Neji scratched his chin, trying to figure what to name his new companion. His black tiger stared intently into Neji's lavender eyes, waiting for a name. "Raimu.. That's what I'll call you."

"A fruit? I hope you don't get hungry and end up devouring that little thing." Sakura joked and he glared at her.

"C'mon, let's leave before these three wake up." He sighed.

"Let's learn to ride on their backs." Sasuke suggested.

Sakura clapped her hands in agreement, "That's a great idea!"

After their encounter with the three mysterious tigers, the mood of the team became a lot brighter. Just for a little moment, Sakura forgot about the fight she lost to Kisame.

 **This story was published on Wattpad since November 2014, so check it out if you can't wait for more updates!**

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	13. Chapter 13

As Sakura rode on Sumire, the wind whipped her hair to the back. For once in her life, she felt free. She looked at the faces of her teammates, they felt the same. The three of them raced in the forest with Sasuke in the lead.

"I am NOT letting you win this round!" She yelled.

Sasuke looked back with a smirk, "Come and catch me if you can!"

"Hmph! We will alright." Neji yelled back, growling playfully. "Come, Raimu!"

The two caught up with Sasuke and beat him, but Neji was in the lead.

"Tell the boys who's boss Sumire!"

"ROAR!!" Sumire replied which she giggled to.

Sumire picked up her speed.

Almost there..

Closer..

Closer...

...Got it!

"CHA! BEAT THAT!" Sakura shrieked and punched a fist in the air.

They were having way too much fun that they had forgotten they were in the middle of a test. At long last, the day is coming to an end and they only have 6 more days to collect 2 more grams and find that tower.

They settled themselves in an area where it's dense with trees. Nearby was a river as their source of food and water. It was getting dark, they quickly prepared for the night while they could still see their surrounding. Their little companions turned into cubs and hopped onto their heads while they did their business. Neji looked for dry sticks to build a fire; Sakura collected water while Sasuke hunted for food.

After their job was done, they built a bonfire next to the river. They quietly ate the fish Sasuke caught from the river and gave some to the cubs.

"I'll take the first guard." Sasuke volunteered.

"I'll take second." Neji uttered.

"Which leaves me the third." Sakura said.

She looked over to their little tigers and caught them cuddling with each other as they slept. "They're so cute!" A light blush spread over her cheeks as she chuckled in joy.

"It's good to see you so happy, Sakura. It has been a long time since I had fun without worrying about my clan's reputation." Neji smiled.

Sasuke nodded, his lips curved upwards. "As heirs, we always have the burden of our clan."

"Yeah.. It kinda sucks to come from noble clans, especially as prodigies.. Being given the pressure and all. And people think it's a fancy experience." Sakura muttered.

Sasuke sighed, "Among all of us, I'm sure you had it harder. I heard about the legacy behind your name."

The Haruno heiress shot up her gaze, no one was supposed to learn about it. It was Neji's first time hearing about it, so he was curious.

"What legacy?"

Finally, Sakura heaved a sigh. Telling them would do no harm; it was a matter of time before they found out anyway. "If you noticed, the people from my clan have pink hair of different shades. But I was the only one in this light shade." She said while holding a strand of her hair which could bring her both fortune and misfortune. "There was a message passed down from the founder of our clan, it wrote: should a descendant be born with hair in the colour of a cherry blossom, she must be named Sakura."

"But why?" Neji asked once again.

The Haruno shook her head as it hung low. "This is embarrassing but... I don't know. My father never mentioned it and I don't think anyone else knows."

Silence greeted them like the cold air. Only at that moment it occurred to the pinkette she hadn't learned about the secret behind her name.

The Sharingan user hesitated, but he mentioned all he could remember about the Haruno clan. "I don't know if it's true.. but I heard the birth of the second Sakura Haruno means the rebirth of the Haruno clan. It can very possibly be linked to a war that may happen in the future."

"How did you know?" Sakura questioned; she was a little bit alarmed and suspicious about the knowledge he possess. She wasn't sure if she felt relieved or she felt more pressured by the responsibility she's carrying.

Neji was curious as well. He glared suspiciously at his male teammate. How could he know so much about a clan's secret when even the heiress knows nothing about.

"It was Itachi...who told me. Back when I was still a child." His harsh stare burned the ground. "I don't know how he found out or why he told me." He thinks Itachi is using him somehow. There isn't anything that he would do without a purpose, that was for sure.

The night was long and quiet. All three of them took turns being on guard, but they had little sleep with much to think about. Sakura pondered about the information Sasuke had about her clan; Sasuke cracked his head about what Itachi had in mind when he told him about the Haruno clan; Neji had his own secrets to solve with zero intention to share it with his teammates.

By the last shift where Sakura stays as a guard, she sat on a tree. What she did not know was a pair of colourless eyes watching her bathe under the luminescent moonlight.

 **Published on Wattpad since November 2014 so check it out if you can't wait to read more!**

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	14. Chapter 14

Finally, the sun rose above the horizon, casting natural light across the forest. The soft rays hit the pinkette's hair, making it a brighter hue of pink. She turned her head to the boys and caught the Hyuga staring at her. Her eyebrows furrowed, suppressing her blush from surfacing as she bit the insides of her cheeks.

His lavender eyes followed her when she jumped down from the tree she was occupying. She snapped when she stood in front of him. "What?"

His lips curved into a flirtatious smirk. He too, got up to his feet and stood face to face with the girl. "Beautiful." Was what he said.

"Ugh." She grunted and hid her rosy cheeks from him.

He stepped closer and bent down, closing the space between their faces. When they could feel each other's breaths, he stopped to grab her chin and pulled it to him. Her eyes widened and closed it shut, the dust of pink on her cheeks grew a deeper shade. She hated what was coming, but she anticipated it. Much to her disappointment, he only blew her lips which sent a tingle down her spine.

She pushed him away with a punch from embarrassment. All these while, she had casted aside her negative opinion about him and he took the opportunity to toy with her!

The boy felt no guilt and she watched him smirk triumphantly. "Disappointed that I didn't kiss you?"

"Fuck you." She snarled.

"Language, Haruno-san."

He was getting on her nerves.

Little did they know, they were not the only ones who were awake at the time. He decided to pretend he did not hear anything and got up. "What's will all the ruckus? Let's wash up and start looking for gemstones."

They two obeyed, knowing the priority in hand. Sasuke continued to fish for the team's breakfast. They ate quietly while Sakura was still mentally fuming about the incident from before. Meanwhile, Sasuke was feeling gloomy the entire time as thought he woke up from the wrong side of a bed. Neji suspected as such, but he spoke no word about it. He could tell what the Uchiha had in mind. After all, they were both quite similar in taste.

As soon as they were done, their search for gemstones began with their little tigers following them.

"Guys, this way."

Sakura had prepared her cherry blossom trackers ahead of time and immediately sensed three ninjas who felt a little odd. They were ninjas from the village hidden in the grass.

As they got closer, they peeked from the bushes. One of them looked really creepy and something about her was very odd. The three prodigies exchanged glances.

"Her chakra greatly exceeds a Jounin level." Neji whispered with his Byakugan already activated.

"We must be cautious when fighting that woman." Sasuke said.

Sakura shook her head, "This is too weird. We must inform the examiner!"

The boys thought for awhile before agreeing to the girl. Nothing about it felt right.

Suddenly, the grass ninja called for them. "Hey, done whispering?" They nearly jumped.

It was pointless to hide now; clearly, the lady was much stronger than the three of them combined. They exited to the clearing and met the foreign ninjas bravely. Their eyebrows furrowed and glared at the ninjas who could potentially bring them trouble.

Her two teammates charged for them, but neither put up much of a fight. They were finished off fairly easily.

"You are quite good..", the lady spoke with a smile that sends a chill down their spines.

In a blink of an eye, a gigantic snake appeared from the trees and attempted to attack the three Genins. Luckily, they were quick to respond. Those prodigies grabbed their cubs and hid far from their opponent.

Sakura knew something was very, very wrong. She immediately took out a blank scroll and write about the imposter with her blood as she did not have any writing equipment in hand. So much for packing. The scroll was tied around Sumire and the tigress was ordered to bring this message to any Jounin she could find. Raimu and Aka accompanied her to protect the important scroll. While waiting for back up, the team will be responsible to keep the lady here.

The pinkette inhaled a deep breath, "You guys ready?" She was definitely nervous, especially after the fight she had with Kisame. Something told her, this person they are facing will be stronger than he.

"Always."

"Hn."

They arrived at the place the lady was last seen and there she was expecting them.

"I see you put your little pets away.."

"Shut your mouth and fight." Sakura shouted with her katana in hand.

Neji and Sasuke both charged, Sakura followed closely. Although it was 3 versus 1, the grass ninja dodged their attacks swiftly.

"Get back!" Neji ordered his teammates. They obeyed and watched Hyuga's legendary gentle fists.

"Eight trigrams: 64 palms."

Everything felt like a blur, it was too fast for Sakura's eyes to register; but Sasuke saw everything with his Sharingan. He hopped into the fight to aid his teammate. He aimed for the back of their opponent and used a flame charged kunai to stab him. The attempt was a success, but it does not seem like it caused enough harm to bring the woman down.

 **Dedicated to @Silv3rfox for following this story!**

 **This is published on Wattpad since November 2014. Check it out if you can't wait to read more! Comment under the story that you're from or if you're following me, send me a PM!**

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	15. Chapter 15

Right after the boys backed away from the grass ninja, Sakura pointed her katana to the opponent. With a single hand, she made a few handsigns.

"Cherry Blossom Release: Sword Bullets!"

Her katana dispersed into cherry blossom petals and it punctured the woman's body like bullets, leaving clean cuts around her body. The crimson stained petals returned to its form as Sakura's katana. The blade of the sword suddenly covered in mud. She was instantly alarmed and shot her gaze to the figure.

It turned into mud and dropped onto the soil. The three of them went into tracker mode again, but all they found was the snake which attacked them earlier.

"This snake is so annoying." Sasuke grunted under his breath.

The snake attempted to attack them again, but they hopped onto the trees and avoided the snake's head. However, it seems to target the Uchiha because he was who he followed when the three of them separated ways.

"Throw a bomb into its mouth!" Neji ordered.

Sasuke reached for his pouch and took out a kunai with three paper bombs attach to it. "On it!" He threw it straight into the snake's mouth and fled to avoid the explosion. Before the snake could release a shriek, it exploded into disgusting pieces of flesh before vanishing into a puff of smoke.

"Have you found her, Sakura?" Neji asked, since her range is wider than his.

"No, she's no where!" Sakura was in distress. She was sure something was wrong with the lady, she's too strong. The heiress was certain the grass ninja was scheming something.

Suddenly, she was reminded of the battle her team had with Kakashi. Cherry blossom petals dropped onto the ground and thin chakra roots spread in the soil, searching for a person.

There she is. Sakura smirked.

"Neji, Sasuke." She called while pointing a finger to the ground. The two boys nodded, understanding what have to be done.

The ground rumbled and a figure broke into the surface with its limbs wrapped by strands of flower petals.

"What power you have.." The lady said in amazement.

"Fire Release: Grand Fire Ball!" Sasuke shouted.

Sakura cooperated with Sasuke, using a jutsu to compliment the Uchiha's fire. "Wind Release: Violent Wind!"

Flames danced around as the team seek shelter on the top branches. Once the smoke cleared, the figure was still standing tall, but her face melted into the face every shinobi recognises.

Sakura gasped, "Orochimaru?!"

"What.."

"What are you doing here??" Neji growled. His other two teammates joined him on the branch as he was the closest to Orochimaru.

"That isssss none of your concccern" He hissed.

The three Genins had no chance to win, they admit that much. As talented as they are, Orochimaru is talented as well. After all, he was once of the trio prodigies from the past, along with Jiraiya and Tsunade. Moreover, that team was the strongest trio prodigies team ever formed.

Beaded sweat formed on their foreheads and it dropped off their chin like tears. They had to fight even though they probably would lose. At the very least, they have to buy time until back up reaches. As a shinobi, it is their duty to fight for their village until their last breath, that was what they had learned from birth.

"BEHIND US!" Sasuke shouted and pulled them out of the way.

When they got away, they saw Orochimaru's lengthened neck that bit onto a tree bark.

Orochimaru's neck stretched and bit on the tree.

"Was he trying to bite us?? Gross!" He pinkette cringed in disgust.

"Nice reflexessss." He hissed. "I wonder..who should I choose? All of you are ssssso very talented.."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke commanded.

"Do you want to try, Ssssassssuke? You were my first option..." He laughed wickedly.

"Get lost." Neji snapped.

"What the heck do you want?" Sasuke questioned.

"Oh well.. I want to select a vessssssssel, but I wonder who..."

His neck stretched again and headed for the trio.

Fortunately, the proctor of the second exam arrived just in time. She kicked Orochimaru's head away and it slammed onto a tree as it was an attack he did not expect.

"Run away, kids! I'll handle him from here." Anko ordered.

Although they were reluctant to leave a shinobi behind, she was a Jounin and the Sannin's apprentice.

"Go!" She yelled.

Orochimaru's head had returned to his body and he stood face to face with Anko. He had a wicked smile on his face, but it did not seem like he will take action anytime soon. The team nodded and ran away, meeting their tigers who returned to them. Sumire jumped into Sakura's open arms.

"Good job, you saved us."

"I can't be any happier to see them again." Neji said in relief.

Sasuke sighed, "But Anko.."

"I'm positive they will bring reinforcements." Neji assured. "As the proctor of the exam, she must be the first to attend to the situation before things get worse."

Sakura was saddened after their encounter with Orochimaru, especially when they had to leave the scene. She remembered her fight with Kisame and it felt similar, she was not strong enough. She has to train harder.

The Hyuga noticed the dull mood shrouding his teammates. Although he too felt helpless, he must not let it affect himself. Train. That's all there is to it, they must become stronger. He sighed, "Let's eat before starting another battle, come."

"Back to the river?" Sakura asked.

"I can't think of anywhere else. We're already familiar with that area anyway."

 **This story was published on Wattpad since 2014, so check it out if you can't wait to read more chapters!**

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	16. Chapter 16

"Guys! I found a gem!" Sasuke shouted from the river.

"I'm a girl! Not a guy!" Sakura yelled back while walking towards him.

"I don't know if I should be ecstatic or disappointed." Neji sighed. "Aside from the encounter with Orochimaru, the test has been too easy."

The two of them brushed off Neji's suspicion and optimistically thought this would benefit them in terms of saving energy. Sakura stepped into the cold water after slipping off her sandals. She joined Sasuke near the rocks and bent down. Sure enough, there was a gem sandwiched in between the large rocks.

"Do you see it?"

"Yeah!" The pinkette answered in excitement and inserted her hand in the gaps. She managed to pull out the gemstone and kept it in her pouch. "We have four gems in total. Just one more and we can pass this test."

"It's just the second day, but we have collected so many." Sasuke commented.

The Hyuga walked over to the river with his hands resting on his hip. "That's what I'm saying. They gave us seven days, but we have so many just by the second day."

Sakura sighed, "We might be overanalysing things you know?"

"That's true, but this feels odd."

"Anyhow, lets get the fifth gem first." Sasuke concluded.

SPLASH!

A wave of water splashed the pinkette, soaking her clothes and her hair was dripping wet. She shook in anger and growled, "Who the heck is responsible for this..?"

She turned to her side and saw a very pale Hyuga looking at her and swallowed a gulp.

"NEJI HYUGA!" She screamed, kicking water back at him.

The team began a playing in the water like little kids, earning the childhood memories they never had. They ran around chasing each other with two handful of water, forgetting the exam that was going on and the misfortunate encounter with an evil Sannin. Although this was an exam, but they made memories. Pleasant memories that they will cherish forever.

They retreated into a cave, not forgetting to bring the fishes they caught. They built a bonfire inside the cave and dried their clothes. The boys and the girl were separated by a curtain of their clothes as it hung on a string from a wall to the opposite wall.

"So much for finding the last gem."

"We still have more than enough time to get one." Neji assured the heiress.

"What about your suspicions regarding this exam?" The Uchiha asked.

He answered, "No point thinking about it when we really don't know what to expect."

A blast of cold wind hit them, but the boys had it harder. Sakura was in the inner part of the cave with a curtain blocking her. It was raining heavily and the noise became louder because of the echo.

"Great, now we really can't look for the gem now without getting wet." Sakura muttered.

"Just our luck, and it's freezing in here." Sasuke sighed.

Neji shifted himself to the fire, "Come closer to the fire." Sasuke followed suit.

"What about me? I'm not showing you my barely covered body." Sakura said.

Sasuke teased, "Hah, well too bad." That was the first time he teased her. The other two prodigies were happy to see him opening up to them.

Even so, that would not stop the pinkette from sending him a glare.

"I can see you glaring at me."

"If you can, I'll kill you."

Sasuke laughed and Neji smirked. This was a fun team and they were happy; they were content.

"I'll wipe that smirk off your face once my clothes are on." Sakura suddenly said, which surprised Neji.

They knew each other well enough even though they were teammates for about a month or a little more.

Wanting to provoke her even more, the Hyuga replied, "I can't wait."

"Sumire, go and scratch Neji with your claw." Sakura whispered.

She watched the tigress disappear through the curtain and waited patiently for his scream.

"HARUNO!" He shouted.

A cute roar was followed by a burst of laughter from the mastermind and the Uchiha. The pinkette rolled on the floor laughing while clutching her stomach for dear life. Her eyes tears up from laughing too much.

"Good one, Sakura." Sasuke spike in between laughters.

Neji stomped towards the pinkette, but stopped in his tracks as a bright crimson colour painted his cheeks. He completely forgot she was almost naked! All she had on was a fishnet too and black tight shorts. Furthermore, she was lying down. It was almost like she was welcoming him. Her pink hair spread on the ground like a fan, creamy porcelain skin still dewy from moisture.

Her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet and she tried her best to cover her body before proceeding to scream her lungs out. It seems Sasuke noticed it too because he shouted as well.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, YOU PERVERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She aimed her kunais and shurikens at the boy.

"NEJI!"

"H-Hey! C-Calm down!!" He panicked and dodged all of the weapons. He immediately jumped back to where he was sitting earlier.

Sasuke smirked at the Hyuga's unprofessional speech. "Stuttering, Hyuga?"

"Shut up." He snapped.

"What's with your red cheeks are blood dripping from your nose?" The Uchiha's smirk grew wider.

"HYUGAAAAAAAAAA!!" Sakura growled from the other side of the curtain.

He wiped off the blood and tried to calm himself down. He tried all he could to forget the scene, but it only made him blush more.

Although it looked like Sasuke was having fun, beneath his facade was envy and sadness.

While they waited for the rain to stop, they decided to sleep. Aside from resting, there was nothing they could do without getting soaked.

Sasuke put a strong genjutsu at the entrance of the cave and they made themselves comfortable on the ground. Aka hopped onto torso, then started snoring. He smiled at his tiger which made him feel a lot better.

The heiress was the first to wake up from her slumber. A mature form of Sumire was found on her side, she cuddled next to her to keep her warm. How sweet, she thought. She unconsciously smiled at the love she's receiving from her tigress. Sakura got up to put on the dried clothes before the guys awoke.

The girl walked over to the boy's side and found the Hyuga half naked. The scene from earlier happened again, but the characters exchanged. She was so embarrassed. She quickly covered her eyes and walked backwards on instinct, but tripped on a stone. She covered her mouth with her hands to muffle a yelp, but a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her up.

"N-Neji??" She gasped.

It took her a few moments to realise she was facing his bare chest. A deep blush spread on her cheeks and she pushed him away without a thought, falling on her butt.

The blush on Neji's cheeks were lighter and he tore his gaze away from the pinkette. He reached for his clothes and started to put it on. His glanced at the Uchiha who was still sound asleep. The thought of the heiress seeing him half naked did not sit well with him, so he took his clothes and draped it over him.

"I'll.. look for some fruits to eat.." Neji muttered shyly and left the cave with his tiger trotting after him.

 **Dedicated to 3Hah3 for favouriting and following this story!**

 **Published on Wattpad since November 2014, so check it out if you can't wait to read more!**

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	17. Chapter 17

The team walked silently while focusing on their surroundings. It was late in the evening, but they decided to work in the night since they had enough rest earlier. They needed one more gem, just one more and they could pass the exam. That is of course, if they reach the tower on time. The sky finally became dark and their surroundings were only illuminated by the moonlight. The range they could see was very limited, except Sasuke and Neji who owns the Sharingan and Byakugan respectively. Sakura could only count on her petals, but she felt safe enough with those petals. If she were to fight in the dark while solely depending on these petals, it would be difficult. She has never fought like that before but this gives her the idea to train in such situations so she would be ready if it happens in the future.

"There are a lot of...creatures around us." She was not sure what to call them, but they were certainly not humans.

"I see them too." The boys said simultaneously.

"I don't think you will like them, Sakura." Neji said seriously.

"What are they?"

Neither of the guys needed to answer for her to find out. She already saw it. It was a huge millipede crawling around the tree and it sent shivers down her spine. She was so disgusted—and afraid. A talented kunoichi she is, but she's a kunoichi, a girl. She looked around and they were surrounded by huge insects and pesticides. Her body moved on its own; it backed away until her back knocked the Sasuke's shoulder.

The tigers were ready to transform as they growled at the creatures.

"Are they going to attack us?" Sasuke asked.

"They aren't doing anything yet.."

Sakura fell into silence as she stared at her fears. If she had a choice, she would face Orochimaru again than these things.

"Let's move slowly.." The Uchiha ordered quietly as though the creatures could hear them. They rest of the team nodded and paced slowly while keeping their eyes on the creatures. She was more afraid of the one thing that might pop up and she knew there were more.

A familiar and terrifying sound vibrated in the air and the pinkette freaked out. It was so much louder and simply terrifying. It was out of this world! An enormous cockroach flew above their heads.

Sakura let out a piercing scream and held onto Sasuke for dear life.

The awful insect headed towards them and Sasuke yelled, "FUCK. RUN!" He carried the pinkette and dashed off with the Hyuga who scooped up the three tigers in his arms.

Aka and Raimu hopped out of his arms.

"Aka! Raimu!"

They transformed into their mature size the boys rode on the tigers. Sumire looked at Sakura worriedly; she was still freaked out, especially when all those things were chasing them. Tears pooled in her eyes, she closed her eyes shut, not wanting to see those fearsome creatures anymore.

Sasuke turned around and did some simple hand signs.

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire!"

A stream of fire escaped from his mouth and it took the form of a dragon. It shot up to the gigantic cockroach, then flew down to the other pests. The cockroach burned in flames and it dropped onto the ground, crushing the other giant creatures.

The team flew far away from them until they came across a team from the village hidden in the rain. It was time for another battle so quickly. Sakura was still trembling from the incident before, so the Uchiha placed her on Aka's back.

"Nice pets." The man wearing a black cloak said.

Neji got down from Raimu and joined Sasuke facing their opponents.

"Too bad you won't see them any longer." He smirked. "Baiu, Midare!"

The two boys who stood behind him nodded their heads. They hopped into the air and their umbrellas released themselves from their straps. All of them opened and it rained heavily with needles.

Sumire grew into a bigger size and all three tigers joined together to roar loudly. The vibrations of their roar were so intense that it managed to repel the needles from hitting the team.

The leader of the enemy's team grunted in dismay. "Such cowards, depending on poor animals to protect yourselves."

"Hmph." Neji shot into the air and landed a kick on his shoulder which sent him to the ground. He stood next to the guy's body, "Right."

"Shigure!" His teammates called. Both of them glared at the Hyuga and charged him.

Before they had the chance to, Sasuke gave a hard chop on the base of their necks. They fell on the ground pathetically.

"Great teamwork." Neji complimented and high fived Sasuke with the back of his hand.

"Hn." The Uchiha smiled with pride.

Shigure struggled a little to get up from the ground and stared at the heirs in anger. He felt insulted to be defeated so easily. The boys stared at him as he stood up in pain. His fist attempted to hit the Hyuga, but it was dodged without a sweat. He continued to throw punches and kicks but Neji backed away in an effort to avoid them.

The two bodies became a puddle of water, only then did he know those were clones. Neither his Sharingan or Neji's Byakugan was activated, so they did not realise. When he tried to locate the other two, he found them nearing the pinkette.

"Sakura!" Sasuke gasped.

Neji's attention immediately drifted to Sakura.

"Focus on your opponent!" Shigure shouted and almost managed to land a punch on the Hyuga's face. He grabbed Shigure's fist and twisted his arm. The casualty screamed in pain. Neji kicked his opponent so hard, he was sure he heard a bone crack and the body flew to crash into a tree. The body dropped onto the ground and the limbs became limp.

He was done here and he needed to go to Sakura.

On the other hand, Sakura recovered from her shock but before the rain ninjas could creep up to her, the tigers were ready to rip their heads off their body. Baiu and Midare trembled in fear at the sight of those huge tigers. They quickly sped off, prioritising their dear cowardly lives. But not before throwing their gemstone onto the ground and begging for mercy.

The tiger with a coat of the night's sky picked up the gem with its mouth and passed it to the Uchiha who rushed here.

"Mission complete."

"To the tower then." Neji said as he walked over to the others.

"I'm sorry guys.." Sakura apologised, but was quickly stopped by the boys.

"We understand."

It was finally sunrise after a very long walk and the tower was finally in sight, but the pinkette stopped which caused the others to stop too.

"Something is wrong here. Do you feel that Sasuke?"

"Yes, I see what you mean." He nodded. "This place is very familiar."

"We're caught in a genjutsu."

The three of them nodded at each other and did a single hand sign.

"Release!"

The image of the forest changed into a less denser forest in brighter colours.

"Do you think there will be more traps upfront?"

"We don't have any other way to cross." Sasuke exclaimed.

Sakura gave a proud smile, "Cherry Blossom Style: Fairy Wings!"

Huge petals of the cherry blossom appeared and formed a pair wings on the pinkette's back. The boys were astonished as it was something they had never seen or heard of.

"We can fly there, but I can only bring one person at a time." She explained. "Sasuke, I'll bring you over first.

She wrapped an arm around his waist and he did the same, she started to take off and instantly grunted at his weight which made him roll his eyes. They were hovering high above the ground and Sasuke caught sight of the genjutsu in the forest which circles the tower.

"If we stayed down there, it'll probably take us a couple of days to reach the tower. The genjutsu is everywhere."

Sakura sighed in relief, "I'm glad I created this jutsu when I was young."

"Why would you, anyway?" Sasuke asked.

She grinned, "I have always wanted to fly high into to the sky."

Sakura flew back and carried the cubs because she could not leave them all alone in the wilderness. Once they were safe with Sasuke, the heiress went back to get Neji.

They walked towards a door witch five peculiar shaped holes were engraved on it. The shapes looked similar and Sakura realised they were the shapes of their gemstones. She took the gems out and inserted them into the hole one by one.

The door opened automatically and they were greeted by a Jounin with silver hair.

"Congratulations! Although all of you arrived earlier than I expected, good job!"

"Thanks Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura replied with enthusiast.

"Kakashi sensei, was the Hokage informed about Orochimaru?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes. Unfortunately, he got away. We heard from Anko that he came to seek for a vessel and Sasuke happened to be his target." They casted worried glances at the said boy.

Kakashi continued, "However, he changed his mind because all of you were very promising. So please, be careful."

"Of course, Kakashi-sensei."

"You may rest here until the test ends." He said and vanished in a puff of smoke.

They analysed the room and found three bedrooms and one bathroom. The other door leads to a canteen. All of them entered their respective bedrooms and collapsed onto their bed, having their own thoughts.

 **Dedicated to sakura-moonrose-hime for following this story!**

 **Published on Wattpad since November 2014 so check it out if you can't wait for more chapters!**

 **Wattpad: @JoelleAu**

 **Twitter: @joelleapeno**

 **I'm trying to build a platform where I can communicate with my readers regarding my fan fiction, so feel free to say hi to me on Twitter!**


	18. Chapter 18

Sakura laid on her back while staring at the ceiling with Sumire beside her head.

"Konoha's Prodigies huh?"

She closed her eyes while reminiscing about the time her team had a meeting with the Hokage not long after their team was announced.

"As this year's trio prodigies, I must let you know of the responsibilities all of you must carry." The Hokage said very seriously. "None of us are sure if you are the trio mentioned in the prophecy but nontheless, all of you must maintain a positive and healthy mindset. In the previous teams, all of them never failed to leave only two behind."

Kakashi clenched his fists as he relived the memory of his team.

Obito.

"Your sensei relates with this very deeply as the failed trio prodigies. His teammate died during a mission because one one selfish decision from a man with an unhealthy mind."

The Jounin hung his head low, he was ashamed of what had happened then.

"Aside from that, the trio prodigies in the prophecy is the key to the world's future. Many suspect a war to break out and the trio would determine which side wins." He stood up from his seat and made eye contact with each member of team TP. "While this moment feels like you won't betray the village, the course of action in the future may attempt to bring you astray. If you aren't the trio from the prophecy, something or someone will pull one of you out in one way or another. The only way to counter it, is to protect each other and create a strong bond."

The Hokage sat on his seat again and this time, he only looked into the pinkette's eyes. "Typically, the burden is heaviest on the only girl of the team because both men will fall for you and one wrong decision may destroy everybody's future. So think carefully."

Sakura sighed. As though the burden she carries as Lady Sakura's descendant was not heavy enough, she has to be a prodigy. She grunted out loud, stirring Sumire in her sleep. Which would be the right decision? It's impossible to figure it out.

As soon as Kakashi left the team, he headed for the room where the Hokage resided in.

Those cubs.. Those are the rare tiger-nins, known to attack everyone they see.

His eyebrows furrowed. He was worried for his team and wished it wasn't true, but fate can't be changed.

He knocked on the door, "Hokage-sama."

"Come in, Kakashi."

He entered the room and went straight to the point, "Hokage-sama, I have reasons to believe the prophecy is coming true. My team, each of them owns a tiger-nin."

The Hokage's eyebrows raised in shock.

"How did they get their hands on them? They are known to be almost difficult to tame."

"I don't know. There were three cubs following them when I met them earlier."

"No one from history was known to own tiger-nins." The Hokage sighed and thought for awhile. "If those three are from the prophecy, then Orochimaru will be our for all of them. Not as just his vessels, but his pawns. We must increase security and protect them at all cost."

"Noted. I'll take my leave now." He bowed before leaving the room.

The trio prodigies stayed in the tower for four more days. They took that time to get to know their tigers better and trained in a smaller scale for a bit. Once the second phase was over, all teams were told to gather in the hall. Apparently, only four teams made it in time with a complete set of gemstones.

Only one team was from another village, the rest were the rookies from the village hidden in the leaves.

Standing in front of all four teams was the Hokage. "Congratulations in passing the second test. The final test will begin in a month where you have to battle in teams. Please be prepared. Dismiss." He said and vanished.

His appearance was so brief and his speech sounded a little rushed. It causes Sakura to worry, but he probably has much to do especially when Orochimaru is on the loose.

"We have to practice our teamwork since the third phase emphasises on that. It'll benefit us if we try to combine our abilities." Neji stated.

"This week will be busy. We need to have several plans in our heads, that Shikamaru is here too." Sasuke said.

Sakura nodded her head in agreement, "But he isn't the only genius in class. Neji and I were the top three in class, it's two of us against him alone."

"That's right, I don't believe the three of us can't beat him. Sometimes, strength matters too."

"Hmm.. Actually.." Sakura muttered. "Shikamaru is a genius, we shouldn't be too confident even though all three of us are in a team."

"Before you stress yourselves before the exam, why don't we have lunch first?" Kakashi suggested.

"Sure."

"Hn."

"If that place allows our pets."

"Let's go then." Kakashi said and led the way.

They arrived at a dango shop and Neji sat next to the pinkette. Sasuke was across from her with Kakashi by his side. The little tigers were quietly sat on each of their laps.

The Jounin started, "So.. Mind telling me how you get those cubs?"

"We were surrounded by them in the forest. They were in their mature form then." Neji began.

"We thought they were going to attack us, but they jumped on us and snuggled us instead." Sakura chuckled.

"They seem to understand us and they wanted us to keep them, so here we are." The Uchiha finished off.

Kakashi nodded, still a little shocked. He began explaining to them about the tiger-nins which they don't know much about.

"These are known as tiger-nins. No one in history could get their hands on them. They show no mercy upon humans, let alone volunteer to be your partners. They can greatly help you in battle, so you have to train them well. Nobody can be your guide, so you are truly on your own."

All of their eyes grew wide, they did not expect to hear this about the little tigers. They felt so honoured to be favoured by these rare tiger-nins, they were very grateful for the opportunity nobody had.

"Help us in battle huh?" Sakura raised Sumire and stared at her with a smile. "Yeah, I remember. All three of you repelled the needles back in the forest."

"I'm eager to see what other powers they have." The Hyuga said while patting Raimu's head.

Sasuke suggested, "Shall we train now?"

"You can after you finish your lunch." Kakashi said.

They were quick to finish their meal and instantly headed to the training ground. Their teacher tagged along to observe them and advice them. It was his responsibility to train them after all; above everything else, it was his duty to protect them as their teacher and a shinobi of the Leaf Village. Those three are important keys for a better future.

 **Dedicated to GabriellaP for following this story!**

 **This story is published on Wattpad and it's coming to and end in 3 more chapters, so check it out if you can't wait for updates!**

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 **Twitter: @joelleapeno**

 **Say hi to me on both sites! I'm trying to build a platform on Twitter where I can interact with my readers regarding my fan fictions, so tweet me which story you're reading and your opinions!**


	19. Chapter 19

"Okay, Sumire. Show us what you can do." Sakura said as she stood in front of the tigress.

Sumire purred and turned to her mature size. She moved away from the team and slammed her paw on the ground. A trail of purple coloured crystals shot up from the ground.

The team was astounded by such a feat. Usually, animal-nins collaborate with their owners in performing a jutsu or any other skill. It is rarely seen that an animal-nin can use ninjutsu independently.

"Crystal release. I've never seen animals with chakra natures.." Kakashi frowned. "It is a special kekkei genkai that very few shinobi has."

Sakura walked to the crystals and tapped on it. She raised her arm and poured all her energy into her fist, then she punched a huge piece of crystal; but she only yelped in pain and the crystal was left unscathed.

"Aka." Sasuke ordered.

He turned to his adult size and ran for the tree. He raised its paws and tapped a few trees. Those trees exploded behind Aka as he calmly walked to the group.

"Amazing!" Sasuke complimented with a proud smile. "Good job, Aka."

It was heartwarming to see Sasuke being affectionate with his companion.

"Explosion release only exists in Iwagakure but it's rarely seen even for them." The Jounin said.

Neji looked at the tiger with black fur, he already transformed and was ready to perform. He jumped a few feet away from them and roared, but nothing happened.

"Raimu?"

The silver-haired ninja walked over to the tiger and did a couple of handsigns before tapping Raimu's throat. "This may allow him to talk our language for awhile."

"Attack me." The tiger said. The three prodigies were stunned for a moment, it isn't everyday they hear an animal speak. It felt weird to them.

"Sakura, you have the honours." Neji said.

The said girl pointed to herself, "Me??" He nodded. "Okay.. I'm sorry if I hurt him.."

"Cherry Blossom Release: Raging Cherry Blossoms!"

A heavy shower of cherry blossom flowers were shot from the pinkette's mouth. Raimu opened its mouth and absorbed the flowers; then, he turned around and blew the attack to the trees. Sakura's eyes widened in shock.

She was not the only one. Kakashi could not believe his eyes. "That's..dark release, shade style. It only exists in legends..."

Neji was proud with Raimu, he did a great job and his chakra nature will be very useful in battles. They definitely will have the upper hand in a fight.

"They truly are the legendary tiger-nins. Truthfully, nobody knows about much them because they don't usually roam in places with minimum human concentration. They were believed as myths, but Third Hokage was one of the few people who encountered them."

"To think that these tigers have rare chakra natures..." The Hyuga trailed off.

Kakashi nodded, "With proper training, they will become very powerful. Anyhow, we should meet the Hokage first. It's about the prophecy."

The trio exchanged glances, all of them sharing curiosity and worry. They followed the Jounin to the Hokage tower with their tiger-nins.

When the team stepped inside the room after their permission was granted, Kakashi locked the door and did hand signs, then slammed on the wall.

"This shall seal the sound away." Kakashi muttered and faced the Hokage.

"It's time." The Hokage said.

"Time?" Neji raised his eyebrow.

"Time for what?" Sakura asked.

"I believe all of you still remember what I said during our last meeting about the matter." The trio nodded. "With the sudden appearance of the tiger-nins other factors, we believe that the three of you are the mentioned 'Trio Prodigies'."

The Hokage continued, "The three of you are the first team who are heirs and heiress of noble clans, not to mention the top three in the country. While your performance isn't particularly different from the previous teams, we believe all three of you will grow up to be outstanding ninjas."

All three of them listened intently. They were nervous and just a tad bit afraid of what fate may bring them. Sakura frowned at the Hokage's words, her fears were coming true. In addition to her own family legacy, there's the prophecy on her shoulders.

"Because of your significance to the village and the world's future, you will be guarded by shinobis so do not fear if you will their presence. This should not be said to a third party. If Orochimaru were to find out, all three of you will become his target for evil purposes."

"You have our word, Hokage-sama." Neji said.

"Once again, teamwork must be heavily emphasised in your group. Kakashi, train them well."

"Of course, I will train them to the best of my abilities."

"Dismissed."

"Hai." The trio prodigies and ex-member of trio prodigies left the room.

They returned to the training ground and sat quietly in a circle. Kakashi began asking them about their chakra natures.

Sakura was the first to answer, "Wind, Cherry Blossom and Yang."

"Water, Earth and Yin." Neji followed after.

Finally, it was Sasuke. "Fire and Lightning."

The Jounin nodded, "Good. The three of you can possibly be the strongest team known to mankind. Each of you have different chakra natures. It is possible for you to compliment each other's power. For example, fire can becomes stronger by adding wind to it."

"Yes, we tried that during the fight with Orochimaru." Sakura stated.

"Right, there it is also possible to combine your powers to create a new chakra nature."

The students widened their eyes, that was unheard of.

"It's possible?" Sakura questioned in disbelief, she had never read about that from books. It was a new to her.

"Definitely. If you combine your wind chakra with Neji's water and Sasuke's fire, it will produce dust release. Dust release is an extremely rare chakra nature and even I have not met someone with that chakra nature. The three of you as a team plus your tiger-nins, it is possible to own all chakra natures in existence."

Right after Kakashi finished his last sentence, something clicked in his mind. Possibly owning all chakra natures as a team is certainly another hint that they are the trio mentioned in the prophecy.

"It sounds very useful, but why isn't it mentioned in books?" The pinkette asked.

"It's because nobody succeeded in doing it." The copy ninja stated truthfully. "This is also something you must figure out yourselves. Teamwork is probably the key, so you three must perfect it."

Their teacher felt helpless. There wasn't much he could help them with. These three ninjas are exposed to things nobody had experienced. It is up to them to figure things out as the fate of everybody's future lies on their hands. Challenges will only keep coming for them and the must breakthrough.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning right here. I have things to attend to." He said and vanished in a puff of smoke.

As a Jounin, he could possibly enter the room where ancient scrolls are kept in. Maybe one of them mentioned about the skills his team has to master. If he heard about it, there must be a record somewhere.

Meanwhile, his team was in distress.

"We have to figure it out ourselves.." Neji muttered.

"Experimenting on combining our chakra natures would take too much time." Sakura said. "Let's focus on perfecting our teamwork and complimenting each other's strengths."

Sasuke nodded, "That's true, we need to train with our tiger-nins as well."

 **Dedicated to AvacynHope for following and favouriting this story!**

 **This story is published on Wattpad and it's coming to and end in 3 more chapters, so check it out if you can't wait for updates!**

 **Wattpad: @JoelleAu**

 **Twitter: @joelleapeno**

 **Say hi to me on both sites! I'm trying to build a platform on Twitter where I can interact with my readers regarding my fan fictions, so tweet me which story you're reading and your opinions!**


	20. Chapter 20

As soon as the pinkette reaches home and met her father on the front door, she was reminded of the conversation she had with her teammates. What Sasuke had said to her about the secret behind Lady Sakura's legacy. She placed Sumire on the floor and asked her to not roam too far away. For the first time in a very long time, she initiated a talk with the head of the Haruno clan.

"Father, I would like to speak with you."

He was a little taken aback by Sakura's request, but nodded and had her follow him to his room. He sat in his seat and Sakura sat in front of him with a table in between.

"What would you like to talk about?"

She raised her head and spoke, "Its about Lady Sakura."

His eyebrows furrowed, "What about Lady Sakura?"

She hesitated at first, but went ahead to ask him anyway. "Is there another reason I must be named Sakura Haruno? Why is it important-"

The sound of her father placing his tea cup on the table interrupted her list of questions that she had in mind for a long time.

"Why are you suddenly interested in the affairs of the Haruno clan?"

Point taken. Sakura never inquired about the Haruno clan. She had always hated her fate to be born in a strict noble clan with little to no freedom. But she had always been curious, it's just she never had the guts to ask. Interacting with the man she was never fond of is something she wants to avoid as much as she could.

She dodged the question by pointing out that it's an information she should know above everybody else. "Don't you think it is only right for me to know? As the Sakura Haruno." This was something nobody else should learn about and yet Sasuke seemed to know more than she did. Moreover, it was that Itachi who shared the information, a defect from their village.

He looked down at her with a pair of cold eyes. "It isn't time for you to know yet. Return to your quarters."

His decision was final and nobody could change his mind.

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows, she was not satisfied. She wanted to know, but he wouldn't give her an answer. She huffed. Fine, mother would tell me.

The heiress searched the house for her blonde haired mother and found her in the kitchen.

"Mother!"

She turned around and smiled at the sight of her believed daughter.

"My darling, you've returned! How was the exam?"

"It was great, mother. There's something I would like to ask you."

Her mother wiped her hands on her apron and hung it on the wall. She ushered the pinkette to the dining table and held her hands in hers.

"What is it, love?"

Sakura smiled at her mother, she's the only person who was kind to her in the clan aside from her older brother who left the village for a long-term mission.

"Do you know what is so important about my birth as Lady Sakura's descendant?"

Her mother's face paled and her smile dropped.

"I'm sorry love, it's better if you don't know about it. Your father will take care of it, don't worry."

"I have been educated to be the successor of the Haruno clan and following the legacy of Sakura Haruno, but why isn't anyone telling me about her?"

Her mother's gaze softened, "Honey, everyone is conflicted between the their loyalty for the clan and the secret behind your ancestor. Please don't blame anyone, especially your father. He doesn't want you to be in danger."

Tears pooled in the pinkette's eyes as frustration was all she felt. Nobody would tell her about the secret behind her name, and the father who had treated her badly is suddenly a good man who protects his daughter? She does not understand what's happening in the clan and she could not release all the frustration she has pent up inside.

She stomped out of the room and headed to her bedroom. She packed her clothes and left to Sasuke's house, not forgetting to bring Sumire along. The reason being the Uchiha compound is close to a forest, it makes training much convenient. She could care less about the controversy that may arise.

The Hyuga also joined the pinkette in Sasuke's house. They stayed in the Uchiha compound for a month until the final round of the Chunnin exam. Living together maximises their training time.

Despite deciding to focus on complimenting each other's powers, they learned how to combine their chakras because of the knowledge Kakashi had learned from the ancient scrolls. Apparently, there were a lot of theories on how to perform in the ancient scrolls, so they tried everything out and succeeded. It took them two weeks to figure it out. All they had to do was connect their hands, focus their chakra on their hands and make the hand signs.

Their challenge was the hand signs. They could not move their hands as fast as they want to because the other party has a different speed. It would need a lot of practice to be fluent in conducting the hand signs for just one jutsu.

Sasuke had been acting weird for the past few days in the tiniest ways. His teammates were worried about him, so they decided to bring it up to the Uchiha.

"Sasuke." Sakura called.

"Yes?"

"What is wrong? You seem bothered."

He faked a smile, "Oh, nothing."

"Please, tell us. We are worried about you." Neji said. "You seem a little out of it these days."

The ravenette sighed, "I'm afraid that I would turn into a rogue ninja.."

"Because there's a defect in most of the previous teams?" Sakura asked in which the Uchiha nodded to.

"Don't worry you Uchiha, we will not let you." Neji assured.

The pinkette grabbed his shoulder, "Exactly, we will use everything in our power to stop you. Just trust us."

"I'll drag you and lock you in your closet if you even think about." Neji pointed to himself.

Sasuke smiles softly, "Thank you..."

Sakura kicker both of their legs, "Enough with the cheesy talks, we have an exam to pass AND we have to become stronger than Sasuke in case he attempts to defect from the village."

From behind a tree, a silver haired ninja smiled behind his mask. His confidence in his team grew.

They'll probably end with a happy ending.

He looked at his students train.

They are my pride as a teacher.

Even though they have yet to rank up, he's very proud of the three fresh Genins.

 **Dedicated to OliveTheOnly for following and favouriting this story!**

 **This story is published on Wattpad and it's coming to and end in 3 more chapters, so check it out if you can't wait for updates!**

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	21. Chapter 21

Finally, the day of the final phase has arrived. A lot of people gathered in the stadium to watch the Chunnin exam, including the Hokages and various dignitaries. The first match was between Team 8 and the trio prodigies. Team 8 includes: Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame. The team's tiger-nins did not join the fight because they wanted to show their individual skills.

When the trio prodigies entered the arena, their auras were almost overwhelming. The stadium fell into silence as they stepped onto the center of the field. None of the prodigies were smiling, they kept their stoic expressions to establish their authority in the match.

"Start!" The proctor said as he backed away from the teams.

Kiba was never the strategic kind, so he charged the trio head first. He aimed for the pinkette, concluding that she would the weakest in terms of brute force. His body burned in chakra and he attempted to hit her with his elbow. She stopped it with her hand and flipped to stand behind him.

He growled in annoyance. Two smoke grenades were thrown to Sakura and her teammates would assist her, but they were occupied. The Hyuga twins were fighting each other with their gentle fists while Sasuke's flames pushed Shino's insects away. Kiba hopped into the smoke and speedily landed kicks and punches; however, each of them were perfectly blocked by the pinkette's taijutsu. Finally, he got pissed off because his plan to knock her out while she's blind did not work.

He fed a military rations pill to Akamaru and his fur turned red. The dog growled and became much more aggressive.

Akamaru hopped onto the Inuzuka's back and transformed into him. By then, the smoke has already cleared. Sakura continued to observe her opponent. She read and heard about the abilities of the Inzuka clan, but to what extent did Kiba achieve?

The two figures jumped on her, but she backed away and the land they landed on crushed beneath them. It caused a smoke of debris around Kiba and Akamaru.

The pills doubled their strength! She frowned.

"Fang over fang!" Two of them exited the debris as they rotated in incredibly high speed. They headed towards Sakura but they were stopped with Neji's gentle fists. The Haruno and the older Hyuga had exchanged places. Sakura countered Hinata's gentle fists by slapping away her wrist with equal speed. She pushed Hinata away by focusing her strength on her right fist and landed a punch on the lavender-eyes girl's chest. She was thrown a few feet away, along with the rest of Team 8.

"Sasuke! Neji!"

The boys answered to her call and held her hands. They combined their chakra to produce a new chakra nature.

"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique."

An almost transparent cube with a small sphere inside it appeared with their opponents trapped inside. They tried to escape it, but failed. Soon, the sphere exploded which made them fall unconscious. According to the scrolls, it is very possible to kill a person with that technique, but they had not mastered it to that level yet.

"Winner: Team Kakashi." Genma announced.

The trio prodigies left the arena after watching the medical team transport Team 8 away. The next team to fight was a team from the village hidden in the sand and Team 10.

Even with Shikamaru's strategy, they lost. The sand ninjas were simply too strong. All of them are combat types, especially Gaara. The red head was the strongest and he suffered from zero injuries. The Nara's strategy could only go so far as to injure Temari and Kankuro.

Finally, it was the final battle after a short period of rest. A battle between the team from Sunagakure and the Trio Prodigies.

Neji was the first to take action.

"Water Style: Raging Waves!"

This was the strategy they had planned before the match started. Soaking Gaara's sand would decrease its speed, they could land an attack on him before the sands attempt to protect him.

Temari used her fan and tried to blow the team away, but they were strong on their feet. The Hyuga's Eight Trigrams managed to block her wind.

"Cherry Blossom Release: Cherry Blossom Whirlwind!"

A whirlwind of cherry blossoms surrounded the sand ninjas and swirled with intense speed. The petals were sharper than kunais and knives. It sliced cut through their clothes and sliced their skin. Fortunately for the red head, his damp sand protected him. The only girl of their group blew the petals away, but it acted as a distraction because what came after was Sasuke's jutsu.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Slicer!"

Bright blue chakra took the shape of a boomerang formed on his hand which was raised on top of his head. It buzzed like electricity and hurt their ears.

"First throw."

He threw it to them and sliced through Gaara's sand.

"Second throw."

After catching it, he threw it again. Only this time, it separated into ten similar boomerangs and sliced their flesh, revealing ragged wounds. It surprised the team and the red head. His sand was too slow to form a shield for him.

"Third throw."

The boomerangs merged together and turned to Sasuke. Once he caught it, he threw it again and the boomerang formed into multiple boomerangs. This time, the boomerangs were faster. Temari tried many times to blow it away, but the weapon was made by electric infused chakra cut through her wind. Kankuro blocked with his puppets, but it sliced them to half. A clean cut on his puppets.

Once the boomerangs cleared, the team was left in blood. The injuries inflicted on Gaara was not as serious as his teammates because his sand acted as his armour; however, the boomerangs managed to cut through but it only grazed him.

Even though they were hurt, Temari and Kankuro's attention were completely on Gaara. They looked at his injuries in disbelief grew worried. They could definitely move on, but the red head was not stable. They had to forfeit.

Temari raised her head and said to the proctor, "We forfeit this match."

The trio prodigies were stunned. "What? Why??" Neither of them were happy about it. Even though it brought them victory, it was not justified. It was an insult to them.

Genma nodded at her and announced, "Winner of the Chunnin exam: Team Kakashi!"

The crowd cheered with enthusiasm, in contrast to the expressions of the trio and their family. The retreated into the building to be greeted by Kakashi.

"Congratulations." He smiled.

"...Thank you.." Sasuke muttered.

The day went by with a lot of congratulations and compliments, but they could not look at their family members in the eye. They were embarrassed.

Sakura frowned when her father turned away from her. Her mother embraced her gently and congratulated her.

"When are you returning home?" The blonde asked.

"Tonight. I don't have a reason to live in the Uchiha compound anymore." She was stoic.

Her mother's eyes became sad. "I'm sorry, honey.."

And she still isn't willing to tell me about it. Sakura thought.

After a silent dinner with her family, the pinkette returned to her room. She took a long shower and wore a simple and pastel coloured kimono. It's an attire she usually wears if a fight isn't expected to occur. She sat on the corridor and stared at the night sky, allowing the breeze to blow her hair to the back. She took in a deep breath and smiled at the fresh scent of grass and cherry blossom trees. It was relaxing and took her mind off things.

 **Dedicated to Bpfaje for following and favouriting this story!**

 **This story is published on Wattpad and it's coming to and end in 3 more chapters, so check it out if you can't wait for updates!**

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	22. Chapter 22

In the middle of the night, a figure bursts through a roof and leaped into the sky. He started attacking civilians who were still awake and walking on the streets, causing a mass panic.

"GAARA!" His siblings tried to stop him.

Sakura jolted awake and left her house with her katana. The urgent situation did not allow her to change out of her night clothes. Everyone was awake and ninjas scurried around the village, trying to evacuate the civilians. Everything was a mess.

While her father gathered every ninja from her household, the pinkette had arrived at the scene. Standing in the middle of the streets was Gaara, but his appearance had changed into half of a beast.

Sakura gasped.

He spotted the female and lunged his giant arm at her.

She jumped away from the inhuman hand and tried to lure him away from the village where no civilians would be harmed. He took her hair and followed her into the forest. Temari and Kankuro joined the pinkette in her quest and told her about the situation.

"His mental state has been unstable since he got injured in the fight." Temari explained. "The tailed beast inside of him is taking over his body!"

Sakura nodded. She knew why Temari told her that. She didn't want her to kill her brother.

The Kazekage stood on the roof as he watched the scene.

"Lord Kazekage." A gruff voice spoke.

He turned to his back and saw the ex-Hokage looking at him in his shinobi attire. His eyes were full of suspicion and anger.

"Who are you?" He demanded to know.

A laugh escaped the Kazekage's lips from beneath his mask. His voice changed into something more raspy and menacing.

"No use hiding it now."

The imposter stripped off the Kazakage's robe. Standing in front of Sarutobi was his student, Orochimaru.

His eyes narrowed, "I should have guessed."

"Your prodigiessss are quite promissssing.." The Sannin hissed.

Four ANBUs reached the roof; then removed their cloaks and masks, revealing four unfamiliar faces. They stood on every corner of the rooftop and did the same hand signs simultaneously.

"Ninja Art: Four Flames Formation!"

A cuboid trapped the two inside. Anyone who touches the barrier would burn in flames, which happened to a fellow Leaf Village shinobi who attempted to rescue the Third Hokage.

While the village's ex-leader was occupied in a battle with one of the legendary Sannin, ninjas from the village hidden in the sound and hidden in the sand entered the village like raging waves. The village soon became a battlefield as the Leaf Village's ninjas try their best to fight them off.

On the other side, Neji and Sasuke had caught up with the pinkette. Two bodies laid on the ground, utterly defeated and unable to move. The only one still standing in front of the half beast was the Haruno heiress, but she was not in a good shape. Bruises covered her body and a laceration wound stretched across her left arm. Her forehead bled and covered her right eye. The scene absolutely hurt the two heirs.

"SAKURA!" They shouted.

She panted as she gazed at them in exhaustion. "Neji... Sasuke... Ru- AH!"

The heavy palm slapped her and she flew towards a tree bark. Neji was quick to his feet; he grabbed her before she could receive the impact. He laid her on the ground, but she grabbed his hand tightly.

"Shukaku..is too strong..." She said in between breaths.

Sasuke kneeled next to her, "Just rest, we'll take it from here."

She's drained. Sasuke thought in pity and worry.

Before the pinkette could detest any further, the boys had left her side to fight with The Tailed Beast. He had transformed into something that looks nothing like a human. Sand covered his upper body and formed a head of the beast on his face. It's not longer a 'he', it's an 'it'. That figure was no longer Gaara.

Mouths appeared on different spots on the beast's body.

"Wind Style: Sand Storm Devastation."

Wind blew from all those mouths, almost pushing the two boys away. When the sand storm cleared away, Shukaku shot sand shurikens.

Neji and Sasuke jumped onto higher tree branches and the Hyuga leaped into the air.

"Water Style: Raging Waves!"

Water shot out from his mouth, but the beast was smarter than that. It wouldn't fall for the same trick again when they fought with Gaara. It dodged the water swiftly and it's tail slammed Neji to a tree trunk.

He grunted in pain and removed himself from the tree. Meanwhile, Sasuke was behind Gaara.

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire!"

Flames in various shades from red to yellow formed the shape of a dragon and hit the beast's back. When the sand spirit noticed it, it was too late to dodge.

Grey smoke enveloped the area. When it cleared, the beast was disfigured half way. Sand flowed like blood from the places that were injured and its tail was gone.

The Tailed Beast roared in anger. "THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!"

While it was vulnerable, Neji activated his Byakugan and used his kunais to aim for its chakra points. The Hyuga's weapons successfully stabbed his chakra points which led the beast to scream. The impact stopped it's chakra from flowing.

Shukaku started to melt into sand as sand poured out of its body. A loud and angry roar escaped his mouth and the kunais were shot out from his body. Neji gasped when the beast regained his strength so quickly.

The body was covered in white smoke and a shadow of a giant monster appeared behind the smoke screen.

It was the full form of Shukaku, the sand spirit. The boys stared at it in worry. It was not something they could take down, at least when they have yet to develop their skills.

Three familiar roars greeted their ears. They looked towards the direction and found their large tiger-nins. The tigers found them amidst all the chaos. The trio had left the tigers to defend the village, but the safety of their owners were their top priority. Never have they been more glad to see them.

Sumire's eyes were sad when she saw Sakura struggling to stand up. It assisted the pinkette and purred under her touch. Her blood stained the snow white fur of the tigress, but Sumire could care less about it. Sakura only looked at it sadly, she was not strong enough. The tigress lowered herself so the pinkette could easily ride on its back.

Sakura reunited with her team and they showed concern, but she brushed it off. They have a more important matter in hand: taking down the Tailed Beast.

 **Dedicated to Ari.sakura for following me and favouriting this story!**

 **This story is published on Wattpad and it's coming to and end in 3 more chapters, so check it out if you can't wait for updates!**

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	23. Chapter 23

Gaara appeared from the top of the beast's head. His pupils were gone, only showing the whites of his eyes.

"Thank you for entertaining me so far. In return, I'll show you the true power of the manifestation of the sand." He sounded like an insane person as he said it.

He muttered something to himself while holding a hand sign; suddenly, the giant beast became lively.

"Yeah!! I'm finally free, baby!" It shouted.

Disgust painted across Neji's face. "Are all Tailed Beasts like that?"

"Beating that giant thing is impossible!" Sasuke said as he stared up.

Sakura sighed, "Even the 4th Hokage gave up his life trying to stop the Nine-Tailed Fox." She gazed at the beast sadly, "If only I'm stronger."

"We need a strategy, but-"

Shukaku interrupted the Hyuga, "Hey, what are y'all doin' there? Scared?" It laughed and swung its huge arm at the trio.

The white tigress stood in front of them and punched her front paws onto the ground. Giant crystals that shined under the moonlight cracked open the surface of the ground and formed a barrier that looks similar to a fan. When the beast's hand came in contact with the crystals, it cracked, but protected all of them from being swept away.

The beast was a bit surprised and it wasn't happy about it. The sand spirit's hand hit the crystal carrier again and successfully broke it. The huge pieces flew towards them but Raimu gathered all of them into it's mouth before shooting the pieces like bullets to the monster.

Much to their dismay, it did no harm to the beast. Shukaku laughed at how weak the trio were.

"None of our jutsus will do anything on something that huge." Sakura stated.

He sighed, "Even so, we can't give up. The village is counting on us."

The Hyuga thought silently with his chin resting on his hand. He recalled their fight before the sand spirit grew into this giant monster.

"Sakura, how was your fight with Gaara before we arrived?"

She closed her eyes as she tried to remember. "Temari, Kankuro and I joined forces to attack him straight on, but he easily blocked the attack and swung his arms at us. While they distracted him, I chopped off his tail before trapping him in my jutsu. His tail is like his third arm."

"Then his tail should be his weakness." Neji concluded. "Remember Sasuke? You burned his tail and his sand immediately melted."

"You could be right." The Uchiha agreed.

"We'll use the trees to hide us. Go!" Neji ordered.

All three prodigies rode on their tigers as they head for the beast's tail. Meanwhile, Shukaku turned his head everywhere to look for them.

"Have y'all ran away?" It bellowed. "So pathetic!"

Sakura grabbed her arm in pain, her wound felt like it was in fire. The tigress stopped and purred in worry, trying to turn it's head back to look at the injury; but the pinkette pat her head and said, "It's fine, let's go." Sumire nodded and continued her journey.

She rubbed the blood off her eyes to have a clearer vision. The boys were already ahead of her, but not too far. They reached the beast's back cautiously, careful not to be slapped by its tail that was moving around as the beast talked to himself.

He's one talkative Tailed Beast. Sakura thought and recalled two of her classmates who were equally as annoying.

"Let's attack the start of the tail together in full force." Sasuke suggested.

His teammates agreed and did their hand signs.

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire!"

"Water Style: Raging Waves!"

"Cherry Blossom Style: A Thousand Swords!"

Meanwhile, Aka shot flames out of his mouth and Sumire shot crystal bullets to the tail.

Shukaku roared at the attack, it definitely hit a sensitive spot as it was angrier than before. Its tail dropped onto the ground and melted into sand.

The beast turned around as its body started dripping fine sand, it was losing its form.

"How dare you!" The Tailed Beast urgently swung his arm at the six of them.

They flew into the air and dropped in different places. Shukaku walked around, in search of the bodies and found the two boys. It grabbed the both of them and wrapped his hands around the heirs.

Sakura was extremely aware of what had happened, but she was far to weak to reach there in time. The beast's next words made her heart drop.

"Sand coffin!"

And she blacked out.

However, her body was floating on air and her eyes were glowing a bright pink colour. Shukaku's hand were chopped off and the two boys were safe from the sand.

That pinkette was no longer Sakura.

The ground rumbled and the beast looked around in confusion, unsure of what was happening. Tree started growing from the cracks of the ground and pink flowers bloomed rapidly on the stems. It was a sea of pink, a sight to behold. It looked almost like snow beneath the blue night sky.

They held the monster down and tried to drown it under the bed of cherry blossom flowers. 'Sakura' steadily neared the beast and swung her arm. The flowers gathered and copied the motion, hitting the Tailed Beast. The flowers that represented her left arm crushed the beast and sand poured out from its body as though it was bleeding. The seemingly possessed pinkette crossed her arms like an 'X'. The cherry blossoms gathered from different places and stabbed the beast. Pink flowers mixed with sand poured out of its injury.

The branches of the trees tore Gaara away from the sand, immediately making the sand fall in waves. The beast from earlier was no longer visible as he disappeared into the sand.

'Sakura's' eyes were still glowing as she stared down at the red head. He looked up at her with different emotions crossing his mind at a time.

"Gaara!"

Temari ran towards her younger brother with Kankuro close behind her. They tended to Gaara and brought him on Kankuro's back to the village.

The pinkette's eyes stopped glowing and revealed a familiar pair of emerald coloured eyes. But it closed instantly and she fell onto the soft bed of cherry blossoms.

Once the situation in the village calmed down, they were broken with the news of the Third Hokage's honourable death. Orochimaru had escaped with his minions with a search team on his trail.

When the sand siblings arrived, they had informed Minato to pursue the trio prodigies who were injured. He sent a team which was led by Kakashi as he worried for his squad. What amazed them was the sea of pink flowers, the scale was far too big for a Genin to accomplish. The silver head knew something was wrong, nothing seemed right.

They quickly recovered the three prodigies and their tiger-nins. They were still conscious, just tired and a little bruise here and there. Sakura was in the worst shape as she battled the longest and she was depleted of chakra. Whatever that took over her had consumed her chakra to the bone.

Once everything was cleaned up and every villager had settled down, the sun had already rose above the horizon.

Inside the Hokage tower was a heated discussion about the death of the village's ex-Hokage.

 **Dedicated to Bugheanur for following and favouriting this story as well as following and favouriting me! Means a lot to me, thank you! 3**

 **This story is published on Wattpad and it's coming to and end in 3 more chapters, so check it out if you can't wait for updates!**

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 **Twitter: @joelleapeno**

 **Say hi to me on both sites! I'm trying to build a platform on Twitter where I can interact with my readers regarding my fan fictions, so tweet me which story you're reading and your opinions!**


	24. Chapter 24

After two years of intense training with the tiger-nins and their teamwork, the trio have improved their skills in every aspect tremendously. They seek help from clans who fight alongside animal-nins to understand animals better and to fight efficiently with them. It's safe to say that they have surpassed the legendary Sannins or at least, are on par with them.

However, the people believe with their excellent teamwork and their fierce companions, they are an undefeatable trio. The variety of ninja art is a huge plus in their resume.

All three of them have gotten themselves specially designed weapons. Sasuke owns a twin blade because of his ability to use both hands; Neji owns a standard katana because his strongest point is still his clan's secret technique. Sakura has a large sword designed for her, a one of a kind sword that generates lightning in between the separated blades.

In a short span of two years, they have achieved the Jounin rank, elite Jounins. The 5th Hokage had offered them the position of an ANBU captain given their skills and leadership, plus their ability to keep calm and observe a battle in great detail. Although they are admired by everyone, the upper level ninjas were worried. Because at each stage of them becoming strong and known ninjas, it only further convince them to be the Trio Prodigies.

Along the years, Neji and Sasuke had hinted their feelings for the pinkette, but Sakura was confused about her feelings. She could not understand the feeling of love, she had no idea how it feels like. She enjoys their company and feels a warm happiness bubbling in her stomach in their presence. She could not tell apart love from appreciation. As long as the boys have yet to bring it up, or she is forced to choose, she will avoid the issue.

There were people who supports her relationship with Neji, but there were also people who wants to see her with Sasuke. Seeking advice from a third party would only push her deeper into her dilemma.

She sighed as she stared into the sky from her room. As much as she would like to not hurt her head with such an issue, she can't help but think about it all the time. She wants to sort out her feelings, so she wouldn't lead any of them on.

Among the trio, the heiress was the one who changed the most. She had matured, but she became someone who prioritises power and responsibility. Her father had pressured her and lecturers her about the appropriate behaviour of a noble clan's heiress. The experiences of being powerless back then acted as a catalyst which led her to become an ice cube. However, she loosens herself just a little bit around her teammates and Shikamaru.

The air around her spells elegance and nobility. Sometimes, it makes it hard for others to go close to her. She gives off an aura of superiority so strongly that even in the streets, the villagers would make way for her.

A pink-haired female alpha.

A Haruno knocked on her door. "Sakura-hime, your team is here to see you."

"Bring them to the guest room." She ordered before heading over to the door.

Before she arrived in the guest room, the heiress stopped by the kitchen and informed the house maid to prepare some tea. She entered the room with the aura of a true heiress, her stance was flawless in every way. Even though she is comfortable with her teammates, in her household where eyes and ears are everywhere, she must live up more strictly to her reputation.

Her teammates were already comfortably seated around the table. She joined them and asked, "Good morning. May I help you?"

Before Kakashi could reply, a maid entered the room after knocking on the door. She brought in a tray with a pot of freshly brewed cherry tea. She set up some tea cups and poured the tea for the guests and the heiress. The maid left the room without a word.

Kakashi was amazed at everything. "Wow, you certainly live like a princess. How ironic."

"It's my father's requirement. Anyway, what's your purpose here?" Sakura felt uneasy to have her close companions in her household where she felt confined. It was always to behave differently than she normally would.

She sipped on her tea to calm her nerves. It was refreshing and the fragrance warmed her insides.

"We have an urgent mission to accompany a newly appointed king of the Land of Honey to his palace." The silver-haired Jounin said.

A team of elite Jounins? Feels a bit extra. She thought.

"Alright, I'll be right back." Sakura stood up. "Please enjoy your tea, it's not sold anywhere else."

She left the room and headed to her quarters to pack her things, not forgetting to change into proper attire. Once she was done, she called for the men in her team and left the Haruno compound.

The team waited at the gates of Konohagakure for the king.

After a few moments, a carriage came and a young looking man stepped down. He has caramel blonde hair and honey coloured eyes, quite attractive. His facial features were prominent and sharp.

"You will be accompanying me, assume?" He said while facing Kakashi.

"Yes, Your Highness. My name is Kakashi Hatake." Kakashi bowed in respect.

"I'm the king of the Land of Honey. My name is Kazuki." He smiled and scanned the trio behind the older Jounin. His eyes stopped on the girl and walked towards her.

He took her hand and kissed it as a greeting. She gave him a smile and introduced herself, "Sakura Haruno. It's a pleasure to assist you."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl." He mused, "Suits you perfectly." A tiger purred from her shoulders and the king was a bit alarmed by it. "Don't worry, this is my companion in battles. All three of us have one." He turned his attention to the two men beside her.

"Neji Hyuga."

"Sasuke Uchiha."

The King did not miss the fiery emotion in their eyes, it only amused him. He nodded and entered the carriage with grace. Neji and Sasuke's glare followed his figure. It pisses them off that Kazuki showed no sign of flaw in every moment.

The team got into a defensive position with the team leader in the front, Neji at the back of the carriage and the other two on either sides.

The journey was somewhat peaceful until they left the borders of the Land of Fire. The bush rustled and the presence of about twenty shinobis were sensed.

The three tiger-nins hopped out of their owner's shoulders. Sakura and Sasuke unsheathed their weapons, ready to attack and heightened their senses. The back of Sakura's neck tingled and she looked back, catching a pair of honey coloured eyes. Thinking that he was worried, she reassured him with a smile which he returned.

Masked shinobis stepped out from the bushes and aimed for the carriage.

The pinkette's sword buzzed with electricity, it glowed a brilliant blue colour. She raised a sword and started to point the tip of her sword to the intruders. They were struck by it and collapsed onto the ground.

Those shinobis were from lower ranks, easily defeated by the Jounins. The rest had taken care of their side as well when Sakura turned to look.

The pack continued their journey calmly and the prince stared at the pinkette in amusement and interest. Sakura noticed it, but brushed it off. The King means nothing to her and this will be the last time they'll see each other.

 **Dedicated to Cassandra Ivy for following and favouriting this story!**

 **This story is published on Wattpad and it's coming to and end in 3 more chapters, so check it out if you can't wait for updates!**

 **Wattpad: @JoelleAu**

 **Twitter: @joelleapeno**

 **Say hi to me on both sites! I'm trying to build a platform on Twitter where I can interact with my readers regarding my fan fictions, so tweet me which story you're reading and your opinions!**


	25. Chapter 25

At last, they arrived at the palace without any harm. There were a few attacks, but it was nothing the team of elite Jounins could not handle. Their mission was completed like a breeze, aside from the little bumps in the sea.

It was late evening when they arrived the Land of Honey; their client offered them to stay for the night. "Please stay for the night as my appreciation towards you. I'm sure all of you are tired."

"If that's okay, Your Majesty." Kakashi bowed.

"Kizashi, bring them to the guest rooms." The king ordered.

Sakura jumped at the name. She scanned the room and found a butler at their service. It was definitely weird to know this man shares the same name as her father and he does not resemble him in any way. The butler has grey slicked back hair and midnight blue eyes. He looked humble, in contrast to Kizashi Haruno.

"Yes, My Lord." The butler bowed at his king, then he turned to the guests, "Follow me." He guided them to a hallway.

He gestured to the rooms we could use for the night. "I'll be here to escort you for dinner in an hour. Please call for any servants should you need any assistance." He said before bowing and uttered a, "Enjou your stay." Then, he walked away to perform his other duties.

The team settled in their rooms and rewarded themselves a fancy shower in the palace. The trio changed into their non-fighting attire while Kakashi remained in his shinobi outfit. They exited their room and sure enough, the butler was there waiting for them.

He had a kind smile while his aura of professionalism did not waver. If only the head of the Haruno clan could be balance between nobility and kindness, the heiress thought solemnly. Kizashi escorted the team to a glamorous dining hall. The walls were sparkling and lined with gold, an intricate chandelier sat on the ceiling which loomed over a large dining table filled with exotic cuisines. It was far too luxurious for the team.

Back in Sakura's mind was her empathy towards the king. If this was the table he dined in every day for all three meals, he must have felt incredibly lonely. The table was huge and full of space, it was so empty and so must his heart. The pinkette's eyes softened as they landed on the king who sat at the end of the table. An earnest smiled stretched across his face when they entered.

"Please, take a sit."

The team hesitantly obeyed, feeling overwhelmed by how casual the king was being. After all, they are all commoners even though three of them are from noble clans in the Land of Fire. Their status was not high enough in the society, especially outside the borders of their country.

The king was kind enough to allow the three tiger-nins to dine in the same room as him. Each of them were given a generous plate of raw meat next to the table. Certainly, a trait of this kind was uncommon to see in royalties.

The dinner was peaceful as conversations were exchanged between them and the king. He was curious about the world of a ninja. During the meal, Sakura did not miss the king's stare.

After a round of deserts, the young king reluctantly wished the team good night and excused them to bed as they must leave in the early morning. Sadness was evident in his honey-coloured eyes. The pinkette stayed in the room and smiled at him warmly. He was confused as to why she hadn't left. She even gestured for Sumire to leave before her.

"I need to take a walk after a meal, may I?"

King Kazuki grinned like a child who was granted permission to leave the house and play. "Of course, let me accompany you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." She bowed.

The king gently pushed her shoulders up, "Please, no formalities. Just Kazuki is fine."

Sakura gasped and raised her hands up in declination, "No way! You-"

He grabbed both of her hands, "Please, just think of me as a friend."

She fell into silence as she stared into his sincere eyes. He truly wanted a friend, this lonely king without a family, without trustworthy friends, without sincere acquaintances. She sympathised with this man.

Finally, she agreed. "Kazuki."

He beamed at his name. The king guided her outside the palace and led her to a wide garden full of beautiful flowers and leaves. The greenery shined under the moonlight and the scent was fresh. The flowers were arranged in rows and every row showed a saturated colour, red, purple, blue, yellow and et cetera.

Sakura was in awe.

"It's so beautiful.." She gasped.

"Yes.. it is." He said in a sad tone. "No one enjoys the scenery with me, I'm always alone."

Sakura sighed sadly, she did not know how to comfort him. They walked quietly into the garden, different scents from different flowers filled their senses. She turned to him and he was already staring at her. It immediately caused them to stop in her tracks.

The king held her hands and brought it up. He locked eyes with her emerald orbs, "Would you.. Be my queen?"

Sakura's eyes widened.

He must have known his proposal scared her because he panicked, "I'm sorry, it's just.. You're the only girl I'm fond with and there is no one else I trust that wouldn't take advantage of me... I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She said softly. While she was thinking of how to respond, she did not realise how close their faces were.

He was so mesmerised by her beauty and her cherry blossom scent was so foreign, so intoxicating. It drew him in so deeply, he couldn't help but lean closer. He wanted to taste her. Until their lips were about an each apart, she finally came to her senses and stumbled back, removing her hands from his.

"Your Majesty!"

He was also shocked from his actions, he was embarrassed of himself for such a feat. Even though it was wrong of him to almost steal a kiss, he was hurt by her rejection.

"I'm sorry."

"I-It's fine." She stuttered as she was still flustered by what almost happened. "Kazuki, I'm sorry. I can't-"

He did not let her finish her sentence. A finger was placed on her lips to shush her from saying the words that would leave him a scar.

"I know, Sakura. I know. Keeping you as my queen would mean ripping off your wings of freedom." He smiled, but it looked so sorrowful. "I understand."

It pained her heart and he saw it. But it was sympathy, something he does not want nor need.

He turned away to face the palace. "Let me escort you to your quarters."

"Yes, thank you."

The two adolescents walked in silence. The tension between them was awkward and simply saddening.

"We're here." He said as they stopped in front of a door. "Thank you for your company."

"No, thank you." She flashed him a smile. "Good night, Kazuki."

It was his forlorn smile again. "Good night.. Sakura."

After much deliberation, the pinkette closed her eyes and stood on her tiptoes. She placed a soft kiss on his cheek, for many reasons. For him, and for her.

Without another word, she entered her room and nervously closed it shut. How brave of her to display such scandalous act in front of a king!

The said king stood on the same spot, dumbfounded. His hands slowly cupped his cheeks where she kissed. A red blush dusted his cheeks as he lightly laughed to himself. He leaned his forehead on the door where the pinkette resided in.

He's a king, but he was acting silly at something so innocent.

 **Dedicated to K4K1 for following and favouriting this story!**

 **This story is published on Wattpad and it's coming to and end in 3 more chapters, so check it out if you can't wait for updates!**

 **Wattpad: @JoelleAu**

 **Twitter: @joelleapeno**

 **Say hi to me on both sites! I'm trying to build a platform on Twitter where I can interact with my readers regarding my fan fictions, so tweet me which story you're reading and your opinions!**


	26. Chapter 26

The team of elite Jounins woke up just before daybreak. They enjoyed their last opulent shower in the royal palace and stepped into their ninja attire. Sakura effortlessly swung her large sword to her back and strapped it to her body, her tigress rested on her shoulders.

They waited for each other in front of their doors, the heiress was the last to leave her room. They headed to the entrance of the palace to meet a young king dressed in his uniform waiting for them. His smile was dashing and his blue uniform complimented his hair and eyes very well. He was definitely very attractive, Sakura acknowledged that much. Her emerald eyes were the first pair he caught.

"Good morning, Your Majesty." Kakashi greeted as the team leader. All of them bowed together.

"Good morning, how was your night?"

"It had been a pleasant night. We would love to stay longer, but we must leave for our country. Please accept our apologies."

King Kazuki raised his hand to stop the silverette. "It's completely fine, I understand. Have a safe trip."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." With a last bow, the team walked out of the palace.

Kakashi was in the lead while the two boys were behind him. Sakura was the last and she stopped in front of the king with a smile.

"Good bye, Kazuki." She said softly.

He placed a hand on the back of her head and brought her forehead towards his lips, ignoring the baby tiger who was staring at him. He gently kissed her forehead and said, "Come back anytime."

The reddened pinkette nodded and quickly caught up with her team. She had acted out of character; perhaps it was the empathy she felt. Even her tigress was purring a little too happily, it was teasing her! Of course the guys in her team noticed the close relationship between the two. While Kakashi only smiled behind his mask, the two heirs weren't so happy about it.

As the boat rocked back and forth, Sakura hugged her little tigress while thinking about King Kazuki's proposal and the exchange of kisses between them.

The Uchiha shyly confronted the pinkette and sat next to her with Aka on his head, clawing at his raven hair.

"Hey."

She looked at him, "Hey Sasuke."

"So.. What happened between you and the king?" He asked.

A light blush dusted on her cheeks and Sasuke frowned at how flustered she was.

"Yeah, both of you seem oddly close." Neji suddenly intervened. He brought in a plate of rice balls and shared it with his teammates.

Although the huge boat Kazuki had prepared for them was stocked with sumptuous foods, they could not allow themselves to enjoy such luxury, it simply does not feel right. Not only did he pay for such high ranking ninjas to escort him to his village, he provided them with upmost hospitality which they truly appreciate. He even prepared a grand boat for them which only carried people of a high ranking status called gozabune[1].

Neji sat in front of Sakura while waiting for her answer. He was jealous and so was Sasuke. He did not want to come off as possessive, it simply disturbed him. All he wanted was a peace of mind.

"Nothing much.." She mumbled.

"Yeah, and it was so normal for a king to kiss the forehead of a girl he barely knew." The Hyuga rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure something happened last night as well, he walked you to your room." Sasuke stated. Of course they would know, Sakura wasn't the only strong ninja. Her entire team are elites. They could feel their presence and especially the king's since he has no knowledge about concealing chakras.

Sakura sighed in defeat. There was no way she could get out of this.

"We had a walk last night, in the garden." She started. The boys were quiet as they waited for more. "He proposed to me..."

"WHAT?!?" They jumped to their feet in shock. Aka slid off Sasuke's head and dropped on the wooden floor. Raimu also jumped back from Neji at his outburst.

The pinkette had expected them to scream, so she was prepared.

"I rejected him though."

The boys exhaled in relief.

"That was very impulsive of him to suddenly propose." Neji stated in which Sakura nodded in agreement.

"It doesn't explain why he would...k-kiss you." The Uchiha cringed at the word.

Sakura shyly explained, "That was probably because I kissed his cheek las-"

"WHAT?!?!" They screamed again. This time, Sakura covered her ears and Sumire hopped off the pinkette.

"WHY???"

"First, I befriended the king. Second, I pitied him because didn't you see how alone he was?" She sighed. "I moved on impulse. He looked so hurt when I rejected him."

The two boys fell silent. They could not understand what she was thinking and what the king was thinking. It would also be a lie if the envy they felt did not hinder their capability to understand the situation.

When they reached their village, the Hokage tower was the first place they went to without dropping their bags or taking any rest. They entered the Tsunade's office after knocking on her door.

"The mission was very successful." Kakashi reported. "We were attacked a total of three times, but all were easily handled without harm on our side. All of them were either assassination or kidnapping attempts on the king."

"Good job, team." The Hokage said and unrolled a scroll. "Unfortunately, I have one more mission for you, an S-rank."

The four of them perked up at the importance of the new mission.

"There is an incredibly powerful person you must assassinate, that is why all four of you are chosen for this mission." Tsunade continued, "The details are highly confidential, even the profile of the victim was not mentioned."

"Then how would we know who to kill?" Sasuke asked.

"The details of where and when to kill the person are listed here. You only have one shot at this. Whether you fail or succeed, you must return immediately."

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows, it seems suspicious. "Doesn't this sound a little odd? Could it be an ambush?"

"Not likely." Tsunade shook her head. "We were paid handsomely for this mission and the details mentioned about prioritising your safety."

"Alright."

She threw the scroll to Kakashi and uttered, "Be careful and dismissed."

They left her office and headed instantly returned to their homes to bring change the clothes in their bag to clean sets of clothing. This time, they only packed ninja clothes and weapons because this mission would definitely be much more challenging.

Just as Sakura was about to leave her compound, she bumped into her least favourite man in the world.

"Father."

He looked down at her with a gaze she could not understand.

"Another mission?"

"Yes, the Land of Keys." She answered, but was taken aback by her father's expression. One that she has never seen.

He was purely shocked.

"Father?" She called in worry.

He snapped out of what ever thoughts he had and said, "That's very far from here."

She nodded sceptically, "Yes, so I won't be home for sometime."

He only nodded and walked past her without saying anything else. No 'Don't fail', no 'come home proud' or 'don't disappoint' which was odd of him. He never missed a chance to remind the Haruno heiress of her place.

What was that about? She pondered.

They were a complete team again and was ready to leave the gate they just entered. Kakashi sighed at the mission they received without a chance to take a break. Furthermore, this mission sounded much more tedious than the others or any mission they had ever received.

"This is troublesome." He muttered tiredly.

 **Dedicated to SweetSerenity85 for following this story!**

 **This story is published on Wattpad and it's coming to and end in 3 more chapters, so check it out if you can't wait for updates!**

 **Wattpad: @JoelleAu**

 **Twitter: @joelleapeno**

 **Say hi to me on both sites! I'm trying to build a platform on Twitter where I can interact with my readers regarding my fan fictions, so tweet me which story you're reading and your opinions!**


End file.
